HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol-related Crimes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many respondents to the British Crime Survey believed their assailants were under the influence of alcohol when they were assaulted in each year since the statistics were first compiled.

Hazel Blears: The British Crime Survey (BCS) asks respondents whether they believed the offender was under the influence of drink. A table showing the trend for all BCS violence since this question was introduced in the 1996 BCS can be found on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0203_tables_bvv.html#violent

Asylum Seekers

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who were resident in (a) the City of Manchester, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) the North West of England and (d) England had all financial support from the Government stopped in each of the last 12 months.

Des Browne: holding answer 27 January 2005
	The information requested is in the table. The figures have been compiled from internal management information data sources and show the position as at 26 January 2005. The figures show the number of asylum seekers living in the relevant area at the time support was stopped. The figures do not show how many people have remained in the relevant area since their support stopped.
	
		Number of asylum seekers who had all financial supportstopped in 2004(1)
		
			 Month England North West Greater Manchester City of Manchester 
		
		
			 January 1,260 50 35 25 
			 February 1,540 60 35 25 
			 March 1,910 65 45 20 
			 April 16,253 63 40 20 
			 May 1,545 80 60 25 
			 June 1,420 60 40 15 
			 July 1,795 70 50 25 
			 August 1,295 50 40 20 
			 September 1,980 90 60 20 
			 October 2,995 155 105 40 
			 November 2,160 145 105 50 
			 December 1,665 155 115 35 
			 Total 21,190 1,040 735 315 
		
	
	(1)All figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest sum. Figures will not sum due to rounding.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the outcome of the consultation and review of in-country leave to remain application charges will be made available.

Des Browne: Responses to the consultation have been collated and analysed. The outcome of the consultation and the final fee levels will be announced in February 2005.

Cash in Transit Attacks

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cash in transit attacks have taken place in the UK in each of the last five years; how much cash has been stolen; and how many people were convicted for these attacks.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. The statistics on recorded crime and court proceedings are not broken down to this level of detail.

Child Abuse

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) gender and (b) familial relationship to the child victim was of offenders in substantiated child abuse cases in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) physical abuse, (ii) emotional abuse, (iii) sexual abuse and (iv) cases of neglect.

Hazel Blears: The information is not collected by the Home Office in the form requested. The available information is taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database and is given in the table. It relates to those found guilty of sexual offences against minors and cruelty to or neglect of children. It is not possible to determine the number of offenders found guilty of physical or emotional abuse against children. Neither isit possible to determine the gender of the child victim or the familial relationships as the individual circumstances of the offences are not collected.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty at all courts for certain offences(2)England and Wales 1999 to 2003
		
			 Offence Males Females Total 
		
		
			 Sexual offences against minors(3) 
			 1999 2,691 33 2,724 
			 2000 2,456 23 2,479 
			 2001 2,388 22 2,410 
			 2002 2,511 30 2,541 
			 2003 2,402 32 2,434 
			 Cruelty to or neglect of children(4) 
			 1999 199 270 469 
			 2000 201 247 448 
			 2001 192 223 415 
			 2002 197 247 444 
			 2003 223 271 494 
		
	
	(2)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(3)Excludes those sexual offences where the age of the victim cannot be identified in the wording of the offence.
	(4)Offences against the Person Act 1861, sec 26 and the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Child Abuse

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were killed by their parents or carers in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Information on homicide is published annually in a Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest available information can be found in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 02/05—Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004: Supplementary Volume l: Homicide and Gun Crime". Table 1.04 gives data on victims under 16 years by relationship of victim to principal suspect. The Home Office does not collect statistics on carers as a separate category.
	The website address for the publication is: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html

Christopher Alder

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with the Humberside Police Authority regarding the early retirement of the police officer involved in the Christopher Alder case; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Home Department has not held discussions with Humberside Police Authority in relation to the retirement arrangements of any officers involved in the Christopher Alder case.
	Humberside Police Authority did write to the Home Office on 12 November 2004 about applications for medical retirement they had received in respect of four officers linked to this case. An official from the Home Secretary's Private Office responded on 26 November 2004 stating that the Home Secretary was clear that any decision was entirely a matter for Humberside Police Authority.
	The relevant procedures for such decisions are set out in Home Office Circular 3 of 2004 agreed last January by the Police Negotiating Board in the form of Joint Guidance. This guidance came into effect last July and copies are in the House Library.

Christopher Alder

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment what recent representations his Department has received on the Christopher Alder case; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: During the last three months, the Home Office has received representations in the form of correspondence on three matters.
	The first was from the Clerk to Humberside Police Authority regarding the ill health retirement of officers who were present at the death of Christopher Alder. The second, also from the Clerk to Humberside Police Authority, was regarding the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) review of the Christopher Alder case.
	The third was from the solicitor's for the son of Christopher Alder regarding the Judicial Review of the Home Secretary's decision not to hold a public inquiry.

Coroners Courts

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coroners courts operate within the Greater London area.

Paul Goggins: 12 dedicated coroners courts operate within the Greater London area, as follows:
	East London coroner's district: Walthamstow; Romford
	Inner North London coroner's district: St Pancras; Poplar
	Inner South London coroner's district: Southwark
	Inner West London coroner's district: Westminster
	North London coroner's district: Hornsey
	South London coroner's district: Croydon
	West London coroner's district: Fulham; Uxbridge; Ealing;
	Kingston upon Thames.
	The City of London coroner also has a dedicated court.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer theletter dated 8 December 2004 from the right hon.Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Ayesha Siddiqi.

Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 3 February 2005.

Correspondence

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to correspondence dated 21 December concerning a previous letter dated 21 November regarding a constituent MsChristine Murgwisi, Reference M18542/4.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 2 February 2005
	I replied to the hon. Member on 27 January 2005.

Custody Sergeants

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of possible merits of changing the role played by the custody sergeant in the criminal justice system.

Hazel Blears: There are currently no changes proposed in respect of the role played by the custody sergeant as set out under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). We are, however, proposing under Clause 111 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill that chief officers of police should be able to develop a more flexible approach to the staffing of their custody suites by making use of police staff.
	The Thematic Inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary published in July 2004 on Workforce Modernisation concluded that the role of police staff could be extended to perform that of the custody officer. The Report recognised the importance of suitable training and transitional arrangements; and identified that the ability to use staff custody officers would enable the release of experienced supervisors to front-line duties and could strengthen the independence of the custody officer role as set out in PACE.
	We are proposing to ensure that these benefits can be fully assessed through establishing a programme of pilot sites looking at selection, training and practical application at the police station.

Departmental Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of unallocated departmental spending in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, and (c) 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Plan figures for the Home Office's departmental unallocated provision in 2005–06 were published in Central Government Supply Estimates 2004–05, Supplementary Budget Information (Cm 6133). Plan figures for 2006–07 and 2007–08 will be published in Central Government Supply Estimates 2005–06, Supplementary Budget Information.

EC Legislation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy towards the amendments to the proposal to a Council Decision establishing the European Refugee Fund for the period 2005 to 2010, OJ C 318 volume 47 of 22 December 2004, regarding the inclusion of textual reference to (a) those in need of special medical treatment and (b) repatriation in conditions of dignity; and what his policy is towards the inclusion in the Commission text of measures taking account of gender-related issues.

Des Browne: The final text of the Council Decision of 2 December 2004 establishing the European Refugee Fund for the period 2005 to 2010 (2004/904/EC) published in the Official Journal on 28 December 2004 (OJ L 381 28.12.04 p.52) does not contain the words referred to in question, and the Government have expressed no view on their appropriateness.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the safety of iris scan enrolment for identity card applicants.

Des Browne: The Government have not commissioned any research into the safety of equipment used to record iris images. The supplier of the equipment which was used in the UK Passport Service biometric trial was required to certify that it complied with relevant Health and Safety legislation.

Missing Departmental Property

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many items of civil service property within his Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is not available centrally in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The table provides a breakdown of reported cash losses within the department by financial year since 2000.
	
		
			 Accounting period £000's Percentage total outturn 
		
		
			 2000–01 143.7 0.000016 
			 2001–02 34.8 0.0000033 
			 2002–03 4,052 0.00031 
			 2003–04 142 0.000012 
		
	
	These figures which are disclosed to Parliament under the losses note in the resource accounts, include cash losses due to physical loss of cash and/or equipment as well as losses through fraud and theft and bookkeeping losses. The 2002–03 figure of £4,052 included the write off of a sum of £3.6 million of accrued income relating to Immigration and Nationality Directorate Detention Cost Recovery.

National Offender Management Service

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice has been given to Chief Officers of Probation on the future structure of the probation service after the introduction of the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office has been engaged in ongoing discussions with Chief Probation Officers on the proposals for the National Offender Management Service since the publication of the Carter Report in January 2004. Following consultation, it was announced on 20 July 2004 that the 42 Probation Boards were to be retained as an interim step and this was the subject of a special National Probation Service Leadership Forum on 20 July 2004, to which all Chief Officers and Chairs of Probation Boards were invited. Martin Narey, Chief Executive Officer of National Offender Management Service, spoke at the most recent Leadership Forum, (18–19 November) on the appointment of the 10 Regional Offender Managers and the implications of separating offender management from community interventions. This was also the subject of a recent letter from the Director General of the National Probation Service and the National Offender Manager to Chief Officers. There are a series of events planned over the coming months on the emerging structure of National Offender Management Service.

PRIME MINISTER

Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii)2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08;
	(2)  what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B)2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to reply. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

CABINET OFFICE

Precedent Book

Keith Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Precedent Book.

David Miliband: The Department's Precedent Book contains internal advice and is therefore not for publication.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W, on special advisers, if he will list the complaints made to the Secretary of the Cabinet between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 regarding the conduct of special advisers.

David Miliband: Complaints relating to the conduct of all civil servants, including special advisers, are handled confidentially.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Anti-bribery/Corruption Procedures

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library the comparison of the Export Credits Guarantee Department revised anti-bribery and corruption procedures with G7 counterparts.

Douglas Alexander: ECGD is among the leading Export Credit Agencies in the world with regard to its position on bribery and corruption.
	ECGD's counterparts agreed to provide details of their anti-bribery and corruption procedures to ECGD in confidence on the understanding that the information would not be made public.

Arms Sales

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much agent's commission the Export Credits Guarantee Department covered on the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia; and what percentage of the contract the commission represented.

Douglas Alexander: Details of contractual arrangements (including agent's commission) are commercial in confidence.

DEFENCE

Annington Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the payments under the Profit Share Agreement with Annington Homes Ltd. were invoked for (a) Gunwharf, Portsmouth, (b) Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport, (c) Peninsular Barracks, Winchester and (d) Ashford Barracks, Kent; and whether the Agreement has ever been invoked more than once on the same site.

Ivor Caplin: None of the sites listed in the question were included in the 1996 sale of Service Families Accommodation to Annington Homes Ltd. They were disposed of through normal open market procedures. Consequently they did not attract payments under the Profit Share Agreement.
	A sale of married quarters in Winchester (close to Peninsular Barracks) was included in the sale and may have attracted payments under the Profit Share Agreement. Details are not immediately available, but I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Army Prosecuting Authority

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for what reasons the Army Prosecuting Authority was not involved in the case of a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in Northern Ireland in November 2003, whose name has been communicated to him;
	(2)  for what reasons the Commanding Officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders based at Palace Barracks, Holywood between 2002 and 2003 did not refer the case of the private in his regiment who was later convicted of causing death by dangerous driving to the Army Prosecuting Authority.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The Army Prosecuting Authority only deal with cases that are referred to them by the Army's Chain of Command. If the UK civil authorities are dealing with a case, then the Army Chain of Command will not normally seek to intervene. Queens Regulation 7.007b, which refers to dangerous driving as involving a risk to the general public, points to such a case being dealt with by the civil authorities.
	In terms of jurisdiction, Section 70 of the Army Act 1955 applies the range of criminal offences to all personnel subject to military law, rendering a soldier liable for trial by court-martial for an offence contrary to English criminal law. Exceptions to this apply to a number of serious offences, which if they are alleged to have been committed in the UK must be tried by the civil authorities. Other offences alleged to have been committed in the UK may alternatively be tried by the civil authorities.

Army Recruitment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monthly recruitment figures for the regular Army were during 2004.

Ivor Caplin: Figures for intake from civilian life" are published monthly in Tri-Service Publication 1 (TSP1), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. TSP1 provides updated annual figures on a monthly basis. The following table gives individual monthly intakes for the 12 months up to 1 December 2004. This is the latest data available.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 December 2003 500 
			 January 2004 2,100 
			 February 2004 1,130 
			 March 2004 1,030 
			 April 2004 800 
			 May 2004 960 
			 June 2004 620 
			 July 2004 580 
			 August 2004 990 
			 September 2004 2,050 
			 October 2004 740 
			 November 2004 1,080 
		
	
	Figures show all Officer and Soldier intake to the United Kingdom Regular Forces including re-enlistments and rejoined reservists.
	All data have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in 5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last reviewed the evidence relating to the compensation claims of the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association.

Ivor Caplin: A formal Letter of Claim was received on 16 December 2004 from solicitors representing individual veterans of the British nuclear test programme in a potential compensation claim against the Ministry of Defence. An acknowledgement has been sent. A substantive response is now under consideration.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated 7 December 2004 with regard to (a) Mr. M. Thompson and (b) Mr. J. Laycock;
	(2)  when he intends to answer the letter dated7 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Laycock;
	(3)  when he will reply to the letter dated 7 December from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M Thompson;
	(4)  when he will reply to the letter dated 7 December from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J Laycock.

Geoff Hoon: I sent replies to my right hon. Friend on 27 January 2005.

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people work for the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency; how many are employed in Scotland; what the figures were in each case in January 2004; what the personnel costs of the agency are in 2004–05; and what they were in 2003–04.

Ivor Caplin: The number of people working for the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency and the number are employed in Scotland is published in United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2004, Table 2.6 and Table 2.36 which is available in the Library of the House.
	The overall personnel numbers and costs of the agency are published in AFPAA's Annual Report and Accounts. The 2004–05 edition is being prepared and will be available in the Library of the House before the summer recess.

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04 the MOD Police spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend for Scotland Percentage of budget 
		
		
			 2002–03 32.273 22 
			 2003–04 33.427 23

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what percentage of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2002–03 the Defence Estates Agency spent in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Defence Estates Agency incurred expenditure in Scotland on personnel costs as follows:
	(a) 2003–04: £2.332 million representing 4.5 per cent. of the Defence Estates Agency personnel budget;
	(b) 2002–03: £4.866 million representing 8.2 per cent. of the Defence Estates Agency personnel budget.

Departmental Expenditure

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the 215 unidentified smaller commitments referred to in the letter dated 17 November from the Minister for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk are for amounts (a) over £1 million but up to and including £50 million and (b) over £50 million but less than £100 million; and what the estimated aggregate commitment is in each of these two categories.

Adam Ingram: There were (a) 127 items between £1 million and £50 million, with an estimated aggregate commitment of £1.214 billion, and (b) eight items between £50 million and £100 million, with an estimated aggregate commitment of £525 million.

First Minister

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which dates he has held meetings with the First Minister of the Scottish Executive since 1 January; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Since January 2004, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence has not held any departmental meetings with the First Minister of Scotland.

HMS Sussex

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Council for British Archaeology concerning the proposed recovery of HMS Sussex; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) set out their concerns in a letter to the Department on 11 October 2002. My hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie) responded initially on 4 November and then in detail on 18 November 2002. Following a further letter from the CBA on 23 January 2003, officials from all the Government Departments involved in the Sussex Project met with the CBA and other interested bodies on 27 May 2003. CBA wrote again on 2 July 2003 and a reply was sent on 23 July 2003. Further briefing was provided to the CBA on 19 October 2004, following which CBA submitted a number of questions in a letter to the Chief Executive of the Disposal Services Agency on 19 November 2004, which were responded to on 26 November 2004.

Infantry Deployment

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-infantry soldiers in (a) Iraq and (b) Northern Ireland are deployed on infantry tasks.

Adam Ingram: There are currently two non-infantry units employed in the infantry role in Iraq: the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, consisting of 400 personnel, and the Royal Dragoon Guards, consisting of 440 personnel.
	There are no non-infantry personnel currently based in Northern Ireland in the infantry role.

Iraq

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers who have served in Iraq since March 2004 have (a) gone absent without leave and (b) been charged with desertion.

Ivor Caplin: Information regarding soldiers who have served in Iraq and who have gone absent without leave is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. There are no incidences of soldiers who have deployed to Iraq since March 2004 having been charged with desertion.

Iraq

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the objectives of British military policy in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom armed forces continue to contribute to the establishment of a stable, free and democratic Iraq though the provision of security, development of Iraq's security forces, and support to the Iraqi Government.

Iraq

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total financial cost to the United Kingdom of its military involvement in Iraq during 2004 was; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The costs of operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts. Costs for financial year 2003–04 were:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Operations in Iraq 1,051 
			 Expenditure on capital equipment 260 
			 Total 1,311 
		
	
	Costs for financial year 2004–05 will be published in the MOD's next Annual Report and Accounts in the autumn.

Naval Munitions

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what health and safety requirements there are for the firing of naval munitions; and whether these requirements prohibit the firing of specific munitions.

Adam Ingram: There is a Comprehensive Safety Certification process for all naval munitions and weapon systems which must be completed before they can be used for operations or training. The process renders the risk to equipment and personnel as low as reasonably practical (ALARP), in accordance with statutory Health and Safety requirements. In addition, there is extensive guidance, both general and specific to platforms and to weapon systems, contained in various Royal Navy publications such as BRdl043—Gunnery and Guided Weapon Practices—User Instructions. None of these requirements prohibits the firing of any specific in-service naval munitions.

Panther Vehicle

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the Panther command liaison vehicle is intended to be from the same family as the Panther armoured reconnaissance vehicle;
	(2)  who the lead contractor for the Panther project is;
	(3)  how many Panther vehicles have been ordered; and what the cost per unit is;
	(4)  what the complement of the Panther vehicle is;
	(5)  what the top speed of the Panther vehicle is on (a) tarmac roads and (b) cross country;
	(6)  whether the Panther vehicle is a tracked vehicle; what armaments the Panther vehicle will carry; and what armour specification the Panther vehicle will have.

Adam Ingram: The only Panther vehicle the Army is receiving is the Panther command and liaison vehicle. This will be used mainly for a variety of command and liaison roles, and is not primarily a reconnaissance vehicle. It will, however, be used in some formations for tasks such as engineer reconnaissance.
	Panther is a wheeled vehicle, and its required top speed is 110 km/h on tarmac roads and 30 km/h cross country. It is being procured in two variants, known as Group 2 and Group 3, and depending on the role it will be crewed by between two and four soldiers. Group 2 variants, which are to be used in higher threat roles, will be armed with a General Purpose Machine Gun mounted in an Overhead Weapon Station with a thermal imager, while Group 3 variants will have no vehicle armament. Panther will have suitable armour for its role, but the specification of the armour is classified.
	BAE Systems Land Systems is the lead contractor for the project, and 401 Panther vehicles (326 Group 2 and 75 Group 3) have been ordered, at a basic cost (excluding VAT) of £320,000 each for Group 2 and £240,000 each for Group 3. This does not include the cost of Bowman radios and some other equipment. The overall cost of the programme is £193 million.

Scottish Regiments

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the Royal Regiment of Scotland will be formed;
	(2)  when the Royal Scots and the Kings Own Scottish Borderers will be amalgamated.

Adam Ingram: The new infantry structure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced last year will be implemented by 2008.

Swan Hunter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision not to assist Swan Hunter with the overrun in budget to build the Largs Bay and Lyme Bay vessels at its Wallsend yard; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: pursuant to the reply, 10 January 2005, Official Report, c. 81W
	I regret that a clerical error in the Ministry of Defence led to an answer being laid which had been overtaken by events. I referred to continuing discussions with Swan Hunter, which had in fact concluded. I now wish to correct the record and confirm that a £84 million amendment was made to the contract with Swan Hunter following value for money considerations and to ensure the delivery of the new Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) capability. This decision followed the programme encountering technical difficulties. The revised contract is not a financial support package for Swan Hunter but one that offers the best value for money to the taxpayer in the delivery of these ships.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Staff

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people were employed by (a) his Department and (b) the Court Service in each year from 1998–99 to 2003–04; what his estimate is of the number who will be employed by each in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Data on staffing levels in the civil service are now collected from Departments and agencies annually, in April each year. Headline figures are published under National Statistics guidelines via a press notice. Previously, data were collected twice yearly, in April and October and those for October 2003 were published on 22 April 2004. Data relating to 1 April 2004 were published on 21 October 2004.
	A copy of the press notice, accompanying media brief and supporting tables is available at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics. Copies of these documents have also been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	More detailed information on the civil service is published annually in Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. The latest edition, based on April 2003 data, was published on 6 August 2004.
	
		
			 Estimates (FTE) Department Court Service(5) 
		
		
			 2004–05 2,250 10,910 
			 2005–06(5) 2,150 21,810 
			 2006–07 1,950 20,510 
			 2007–08 1,950 20,310 
		
	
	(5) HMCS WEF 1 April 2005

Magistrates (Northern Ireland)

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his oral answer of 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 159, whether magistrates are remunerated in Northern Ireland.

Christopher Leslie: Resident magistrates in Northern Ireland are remunerated at the rate of £90,760 per annum. Justices of the Peace and members of the Lord Chancellor's Lay Panel in Northern Ireland are paid expenses only.
	Upon the creation of the new office of Lay Magistrate in Northern Ireland on 1 April 2005, lay magistrates in Northern Ireland will be paid £80 per half day for attending court sittings.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present.

Christopher Leslie: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Welsh Language Scheme

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented.

David Lammy: holding answer 27 January 2005
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs' Welsh Language Scheme has not been finally approved by the Welsh Language Board. The Department is in close consultation with the board with the aim of producing an agreed draft, which will go out for public consultation in the near future.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the key impacts for (a) different regions, (b) different sectors and (c) the world as a whole arising from different predicted levels of climate change.

Elliot Morley: The Department has followed the approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in supporting the use of climate change scenarios to project future impacts at various levels.
	The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) was set up to facilitate an integrated assessment of the impacts of climate change in the UK through the production of a common set of tools, including climate change scenarios, and through shared expertise. This assessment has progressed through regional and sectoral studies led by stakeholder partnerships. A report summarising the results from UKCIP studies will be published later this year, and copies made available in the Libraries of both Houses. Further information about UK regional and sectoral climate change impacts is available from www.ukcip.org.uk.
	From time-to-time, I convene a group of UK experts on climate change to produce an academic review of the impacts of climate change in the UK. The last such review was in 1996, prior to the establishment of the UKCIP.
	In terms of impacts for the world as a whole, the Department contributes to the definitive assessments of this type, those developed by the IPCC. Specifically, the Department funds the Technical Support Unit for Working Group II (on climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability), provides support for the UK co-chair of this working group and also funds the Data Distribution Centre that makes the results from the IPCC available to climate researchers.
	Other work that has been conducted or supported by the Department in assessing the impacts of climate change is summarised in Defra's Global Atmosphere Division Research Programme Annual Report (the latest publication was for 2002–03), which is available in the Libraries.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department will be promoting the concept of contraction and convergence at the conference on climate change at Hadley Centre for Climate Research and Prediction on 1 to 3 February.

Elliot Morley: The aim of the conference is to advance scientific understanding of and encourage an international scientific debate on the impacts of climate change for different levels of greenhouse gas stabilisation, and the pathways and options to achieve such levels, and to encourage research on these issues. Possible models for emission reduction regimes, such as contraction and convergence, are beyond the remit of the conference.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets for carbon dioxide emission reductions by 2050 her Department will be promoting at the conference on climate change at Hadley Centre for Climate Research and Prediction on 1 to 3 February.

Elliot Morley: The aim of the conference is to advance scientific understanding of and encourage an international scientific debate on the impacts of climate change for different levels of greenhouse gas stabilisation, and the pathways and options to achieve such levels, and to encourage research on these issues. No targets will be promoted.

Departmental Equipment

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many items of electrical equipment were used by her Department in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) cost and (b) number of each type of item.

Alun Michael: All those purchasing electrical equipment in the Department are required to have regard to economy and sustainability but it is not possible to provide a breakdown in the form requested for the very wide range of office and specialist equipment used.

Departmental Equipment

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type.

Alun Michael: Electronic devices such as desktop computers, laptops, printers and other IT equipment are no longer owned by the Department. As from 1 October 2004, all of Defra's IT assets were transferred to IBM as part of the IT outsourcing contract (e-nabling Defra).
	Details of other electronic office equipment such as fax machines and photocopiers, which are normally leased, are not held centrally.
	There are approximately 2,800 mobile telephones owned by the Department. This figure includes core Defra, RDS and SVS.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by her Department on (a) new furniture and (b) hired furniture in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: Furniture purchases and hirings are not separately identified. However, hired furniture would be a minute fraction of the total number of items.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence.

Alun Michael: The following table shows the expenditure in fiscal years since the Department was formed in 2001, up to 31 October 2004 in the current year. Further analysis of vehicle hire and subsistence (which includes hotel accommodation) would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		£ million
		
			  Travel Vehicle hire Subsistence Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 14.3 8.7 25.7 48.7 
			 2002–03 10.3 1.5 3.9 15.7 
			 2003–04 11.1 0.5 3.8 15.4 
			 2004–05 10.7 0.4 2.4 13.5 
		
	
	Only one occasion of helicopter hire has been traced in 2003–04 at a cost of £1,796. All travel was in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by her Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip.

Alun Michael: We are able to provide the total expenditure recorded since the Department was formed in 2001 whereas in the precise form of the question the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The expenditure can be broken into two sub-headings;
	Foreign Travel including flights and internal travel and
	Subsistence including hotel accommodation.
	These figures exclude Agency figures which are shown in a separate table as follows:
	
		£000
		
			  Foreign Travel Subsistence Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 1,425 363 1,788 
			 2002–03 1,644 797 2,441 
			 2003–04 1,565 659 2,224 
		
	
	All travel was in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.
	The expenditure for related Agencies (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Central Science Laboratory, Pesticides Safety Directorate, Rural Payments Agency, Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Veterinary Medicines Directorate) in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is as follows:
	
		
			  Foreign travel including subsistence (£000) 
		
		
			 2001–02 972 
			 2002–03 1,085 
			 2003–04 1,283

Emissions Trading Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for greenhouse gas emissions of the absence of an agreed national allocation plan under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 31 January 2005
	The UK National Allocation Plan (NAP) was submitted to the Commission in April 2004 and was approved on 7 July. The NAP clearly stated that the figure for the total number of allowances to be allocated was provisional pending finalisation of the emissions projections, the review of Climate Change Agreement targets, and the receipt of verified data from installations.
	Although we are still awaiting a formal response from the Commission on the proposed amendments to the NAP (submitted 10 November 2004), the EU Emissions Trading Scheme has commenced operation. Under the terms of their greenhouse gas emissions permits which were issued during the course of last year, operators began monitoring their carbon dioxide emissions on 1 January this year. There has been an active market in contracts for future delivery of emissions allowances for some time. UK operators will be able to trade on the spot" market once allowances have been issued, which is anticipated to be at the end of March. We plan to announce the installation allocations in early February which will provide UK operators with greater certainty about their allocation. The delay in trading will not affect the fact that operators covered by the Scheme will be required to surrender allowances in line with their carbon dioxide emissions for 2005, as the first year of Phase 1 of the Scheme.
	Other member states have also found the implementation of the scheme challenging. Denmark is the only country which is currently in a position to spot trade, and a number of other member states expect to be in a position to spot trade by the end of February. Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland and Greece are yet to receive approval of their NAP from the European Commission.

Emissions Trading Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what rate of change for entitlements within the Emissions Trading Scheme her Department is prepared to accept to ensure its climate change targets are met.

Elliot Morley: The UK National Allocation Plan (NAP) was submitted to the European Commission in April 2004, and was approved in July. The total number of allowances to be allocated was set at 0.7 per cent. below the projected UK emissions 2005–07. The NAP clearly stated that this figure (total number of allowances) was provisional and based on interim projections.
	Following the finalisation of energy projections, UK emissions 2005–07 are now estimated to be 56 million tonnes CO 2 higher than was estimated in April. The Government have proposed to increase the total number of allowances, but just by 20 million tonnes CO 2 . The effect of this is to increase the level of effort required from our NAP to 5 per cent. below projected emissions, making the UK NAP a more ambitious plan.
	The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is one of the measures in place to help us achieve our national goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in CO 2 on 1990 levels by 2010. We hope to use the Climate Change Programme review to determine the number of allowances to be issued to UK installations in Phase 2 of the Scheme (2008–12).

Flooding

Roger Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what visits her officials have made since 1997 to (a) Germany, (b) the Netherlands and (c) other EU member states to investigate measures taken to prevent pollution from oil leakage in areas liable to flooding.

Elliot Morley: Defra officials aim to maintain close links with counterparts in Germany, Netherlands and other EU countries on general flood risk management related issues, but are not aware of any meetings attended where oil leakage was a specific topic for discussion.

Flooding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the co-ordination of contingency planning in the event of major floods. [211860
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 1 February 2005
	We have increased flood defence and coast erosion funding to the Environment Agency and other operating authorities up from £312 million in 1997–98 and set to rise to £570 million next year and for each of the following two years. However, although building and maintaining physical defences will reduce the risk of flooding, that risk can never be completely eliminated. Plans exist at local, regional and central levels to respond to potential and actual flood events.
	In addition to building and maintaining defences, the Environment Agency maintains its own local, regional and national level contingency plans to deal with potential or actual flooding. As part of its remit, the Agency also maintains a flood warning system to ensure as high a level of preparedness as possible by the public and the local, regional and central responders.
	At the national level, Defra has the lead Department role for flood emergencies and our Lead Department Plan sets out the co-ordination arrangements at local, regional and central levels for flooding from rivers or the sea. Alongside this Plan other Departments and Agencies maintain their own plans in their areas of responsibility to respond to, for example, the consequences of floods. There are also provisions for Government co-ordination when necessary through the arrangements operated by the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat.
	The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 formalises a number of duties on local authorities, the emergency services and other organisations involved, including the Environment agency, in responding to any emergency. Among these are contingency planning and risk assessment for emergencies at the local level, including flooding: for example, local flood response plans were activated in the case of both the Boscastle flood in August last year and the January 2005 Carlisle flood.
	The Government have also set up a Regional Resilience Team in each of the English regions to enhance the co-ordination of planning for wide impact events, such as major flooding, and to improve lines of communication between central Government and local responders during the response to an incident. These arrangements worked successfully in relation to the Boscastle and Carlisle floods.
	The Environment Agency, with other responders, also carries out a regular programme of exercises to test its capability at all levels. Last year, EA led a national level exercise—Exercise Triton—to test the preparedness of organisations at all levels, local, regional and national to a simulated national scale event involving flooding of the East Coast from Lincolnshire to Hampshire, with offsets in Gwent and North Wales. A lessons identified report will be published in the spring.

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response she has made to the recent Royal Society report on GM crops based on the management of GM herbicide tolerant sugar beet.

Elliot Morley: A paper reporting the results of studies carried out by scientists at Rothamsted Research Broom's Barn entitled Management of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant sugar beet for spring and autumn environmental benefit" was published on 19 January 2005 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.
	We have referred this research paper to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and have asked them in particular to consider the implications, if any, for their advice issued on 13 January 2004 on the implications of the farm scale evaluations of herbicide tolerant GM crops.
	Currently GM sugar beet is not authorised for cultivation in the European Union.

Household Waste Recycling

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of household waste in West Derbyshire has been recycled in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: The parliamentary constituency of West Derbyshire is covered by Derbyshire Dales district council.
	The proportion of household waste sent for recycling or composting in Derbyshire Dales district council in each of the last three years is presented in the following table:
	
		Household waste sent for recycling or composting inDerbyshire Dales
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 2000–01 12 
			 2001–01 12 
			 2002–03 16 
		
	
	Source:
	Defra's Municipal Waste Management Survey (MWMS)

Oil Leakage

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has sponsored into the effects of oil leakage on land on (a) sources of drinking water, (b) soil conditions and (c) welfare of wildlife.

Elliot Morley: Defra has not sponsored any research directly in these areas. However, the Environment Agency, a Defra-sponsored non-departmental public body, has undertaken a number of research projects that have considered the impact and attenuation of oil spills on soil and groundwater. In particular:
	The Natural Attenuation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Chlorinated Solvents in Groundwater, report P 305 dated 1999
	Guidance on the assessment and monitoring of natural attenuation of contaminants in groundwater, report number 95, dated 2000.
	These reports are available from the Environment Agency via the following internet links:
	http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SPRP2–134– 01-e-p.pdf
	http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SR-DPUB95 -e-e.pdf

Petrol Stations

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what action her Department takes against site operators not carrying out a risk assessment at a petrol station as required by her Department's code;
	(2)  what action her Department takes against site operators declining or omitting to carry out a risk assessment at a petrol station as required by the DSEAR code; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has powers under the Groundwater Regulations 1998 to serve a notice to prohibit, or make subject to conditions, activities, such as operating a petrol station, which might put groundwater at risk. Failure to follow the Groundwater Protection Code, including the provisions on risk assessments, is not an offence in itself but shall be considered, along with individual site circumstances, by the Agency when deciding whether to serve a notice. The Agency will often, particularly where it perceives risks to be low, seek to address issues through dialogue before using these notice powers.
	The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive. Enforcement of DSEAR at petrol filling stations is undertaken by the local Petroleum Licensing Authority (PLA). Regulation 5(1) requires that where a dangerous substance is present at the workplace, the employer should make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks. Should the PLA discover that such a risk assessment has not been undertaken, then the full range of regulatory action is available to the enforcing officer, ranging from a verbal request to undertake a risk assessment to, ultimately, prosecution.

Secondment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the people working within her Department on secondment from the private sector, broken down by (a) the organisation or industry they came from and (b) the policy responsibilities they have been given.

Alun Michael: The following annex details the secondees from the private sector currently working in this Department, the organisation they came from and the policy responsibilities they have been given.
	The term secondee" refers to a person borrowed" from an organisation outside the civil service for a period of between three months and three years (exceptionally five years), without affecting employment status. During the secondment period the secondee remains an employee of the parent organisation but is expected to abide by the Defra Staff Handbook and the Official Secrets Act. Secondees are expected to undertake the full range of duties attached to the post. At the end of the secondment the secondee normally returns to the parent organisation.
	
		
			 Name Parent organisation Defra unit/division Policy responsibilities 
		
		
			 Sarah Perry FUTERRA Sustainability Communications Ltd. Sustainable Development Building Sustainable Development Capacity 
			 Fay Blair Global to Local Sustainable Development None 
			 Sue Nowak Water UK Better Regulation Implementing the 54 recommendations from Defra's Regulation Task Force report 
			 Richard Chalk Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Improvement and Delivery Group—Corporate Development Team None 
			 Nick Starkey National Farmers Union OFIC Crops for Industry Development of sustainable non food uses of crops other than energy 
			 Alison Pridmore Capita Symonds Sustainable Development None 
			 Bill Senior BP GAS Climate Change activity 
			 John Enright London Remade WS Waste Implementation Programme None 
			 Steven Marshall Scottish Power Sustainable Energy—SEP3 International Energy Efficiency Innovation Review and REEEP Initiative 
			 Paul Turner Northumbrian Water Water Supply and Regulation None 
			 Kate Hampton Climate Change Capital Global Atmosphere Future International action to prevent climate change 
			 Phil Cutts SERCO Group plc Rural Development Service None 
			 Nader Bahri Powergen Sustainable Energy Combined Heat and Power

Shooting

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the groups (a) supportive of shooting, (b) critical of shooting and (c) neutral on shooting interviewed by her Department's consultants working on the review of game laws and licences.

Alun Michael: A consultant has been engaged by Defra to undertake a preliminary review of the game licensing system with the specific aim of gathering information to help inform any public consultation. To date, the groups that have been contacted include:
	Animal Aid
	Association of Local Government
	British Association for Shooting and Conservation
	British Retail Consortium
	Country Land and Business Association
	Countryside Agency
	The Deer Initiative
	English Nature
	Federation of Small Businesses
	Food Standards Agency
	Forestry Commission
	Game Conservancy Trust
	Joint Nature Conservancy Council
	Marks and Spencer
	National Farmers Union
	National Game Dealers Association
	National Trust
	Police
	Post Office
	Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
	Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
	Trading Standards Institute
	Two consultants who undertake work for a number of different game organisations were also interviewed. The key organisations whose views they put forward were:
	British Shooting Sports Council
	National Gamekeepers Organisation
	Game Farmers Association
	The groups were not asked whether they would characterise themselves crudely as for" or against" shooting. Our purpose in consulting them is to ensure that a range of expertise, experience and views are taken into account as we consider how to review and update the game licensing provisions.
	There will be a public consultation on proposed changes to the system later this year.

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Alun Michael: During the period in question, the Department had no central record of recruitment advertising so the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Defra is centralising its Human Resources Services function and introducing a new integrated IT system. This will enable the Department to provide aggregated information in future years.

Tidal Waves

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been carried out into the likelihood of the UK being struck by a tidal wave in the foreseeable future.

Elliot Morley: We are aware of some research that has been carried out by The British Geological Survey and others, including specific work at the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College, London into the possibility of tsunami-type events originating in the Canary Islands. Most assessments have suggested that such events have a very low probability but they clearly cannot be completely ruled out.

Tidal Waves

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what preparations her Department has made for the possibility of the UK being struck by a tidal wave.

Elliot Morley: Contingency plans at the local, regional and national levels for flooding from rivers or the sea and caused by tide and weather events are already in place. In the light of recent events, and subject to current investigations being led by the Office of Science and Technology, we plan to commission a short-term expert overview of the chances of a tsunami-type event affecting coastal areas of the UK. This will provide information on the likelihood of such events impacting on the UK, possible consequences and the potential for effective preparation and warning.

Tidal Waves

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of (a) which areas of the UK are likely to be affected and (b) the scale of likely damage which would be caused by a tidal wave.

Elliot Morley: The precise scale of likely damage which could be caused by a tsunami type wave is difficult to predict as this would depend on both size and origin. However, the flood maps published on the internet by the Environment Agency now show the potential extent of an extreme flood (estimated at a 0.1 per cent. or 1 in 1,000 annual probability) for all coastal areas of England. While this was never intended to cover tsunami-type events, these maps are clearly indicative of the areas most at risk in such an occurrence. Assessments of such risks for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Administrations. However, the Environment Agency Flood maps also cover Wales.

UN Resolutions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i)proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/52/702, (B) A/RES/53/189 A and B, (C) A/RES/54/224, (D) A/RES/55/202, (E) A/RES/56/198, (F) A/RES/57/262, (G) A/RES/58/213 A and B, (H) A/RES/52/201, (I) A/RES/53/190, (J) A/RES/54/221, (K) A/RES/55/201, (L) A/RES/56/197, (M) A/RES/57/260, (N)A/RES/58/212, (O) A/RES/52/199, (P) A/RES/52/198, (Q) A/RES/53/191, (R) A/RES/54/223, (S) A/RES/55/204, (T) A/RES/56/196, (U) A/RES/57/259, (V) A/RES/58/242, (w) A/RES/58/211, (X) A/RES/52/29, (Y)A/RES/53/33, (Z) A/RES/55/8 and (AA) A/RES/57/142 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions;
	(2)  whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as party of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/56/200, (B) A/RES/58/210, (C)A/RES/57/258, (D) A/RES/57/254, (E) A/RES/58/219, (F) A/RES/58/217 and (G) A/RES/58/216 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each resolution;
	(3)  whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/54/217, (B) A/RES/54/216, (C)A/RES/55/200, (D) A/RES/56/193, (E) A/RES/57/251, (F) A/RES/58/209, (G) A/RES/54/214, (H) A/RES/55/196, (I) A/RES/56/192, (J) A/RES/57/252, (K) A/RES/56/226, (L) A/RES/57/253 and (M) A/RES/58/218 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions;
	(4)  whether the UK (a) independently and (b) as part of the EU (i) proposed and (ii) co-sponsored UN resolutions (A) A/RES/52/28, (B) A/RES/57/143, (C) A/RES/59/25, (D) A/RES/53/77C, (E) A/RES/54/54C, (F)A/RES/53/7, (G) A/RES/54/215, (H) A/RES/55/205, (I) A/RES/54/225, (J) A/RES/55/203, (K) A/RES/57/261, (L) A/RES/54/222, (M) A/RES/56/119, (N) A/RES/57/257 and (O) A/RES/58/243 for the consideration of the UN General Assembly; and if she will make a statement on the UK's involvement with each of these resolutions.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	These UN resolutions relate to a variety of sustainable development and environmental issues considered by the UN General Assembly over the course of the last eight years. The majority are Second Committee resolutions (relating to economic and sustainable development matters), which are traditionally proposed by the Group of 77 countries. With the exception of resolution A/RES/55/8—on which a vote was called (the UK/EU voted in favour)—all of the resolutions were adopted by consensus. So the UK supported the adoption of all of the resolutions referred to in the list.
	Co-sponsorship usually reflects a degree of approval beyond mere acceptance of a consensus (the EU often, but not always, co-ordinates on which resolutions merit co-sponsorship by member states, even though co-sponsorship is recorded individually). We do not hold centrally information on those resolutions the UK/EU has co-sponsored or proposed. However, co-sponsorship details can be accessed publicly through the UN documentation centre at www.un.org.documents. Details of the individual countries or groups that proposed, or introduced", a resolution can also be obtained from this source.

Water Companies (Insurance Policies)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effects of the practice of water companies of selling insurance to householders relating to the replacement of water main pipes, with particular reference to leakage.

Elliot Morley: The Office of Water Services have not directly assessed the impact of household insurance on supply pipe leakage. However, they have reported that leakage from householders' supply pipes accounted for about 28 per cent. of total water company leakage in 2003–04. The numbers of repairs and replacements of householders' supply pipes and the proportion of leakage attributed to households' supply pipes have been at similar levels over the last five years.
	A total of 52,907 repairs and 6,472 replacements of household supply pipes were undertaken in 2003–04. Some 91 per cent. of repairs and 46 per cent. of replacements of household supply pipes were carried out by water companies free of charge. Where charges are made, these may be covered by household insurance policies such as those promoted by some water companies.

Pollution Incidents

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many incidents of pollution in the domestic and residential sector there were in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004;
	(2)  how many water pollution incidents in the domestic and residential sector there were in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Elliot Morley: holding answers 31 January 2005 and 1 February 2005
	The number of incidents reported to the Environment Agency under this heading was 2,392 in 2003 and 1,865 in 2004.

TRANSPORT

Bromsgrove Station

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive about selective door opening at Bromsgrove station.

Tony McNulty: None. The Health and Safety Executive advises that rolling stock fitted with selective door opening is permitted to stop at stations with short platforms, provided the train operator sets out how the risks associated with selective door opening usage will be managed.

Bromsgrove Station

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail about the lengthening of Bromsgrove station platforms.

Tony McNulty: None.

Departmental Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts in his Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much; over what period of time; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The following contracts were awarded to Fujitsu during the last two years by the central department, using an Office of Government Commerce pre-competed framework contract:
	
		
			 Service Date £ 
		
		
			 Data preparation May 2002 to March 2005 12,000 
			 System support April 2003 to March 2004 118,805 
			 System support February to June 2004 59,892 
			 Technical support June 2004 to March 2005 63,234 
		
	
	The following contracts were awarded to EDS during the last two years by DVLA following competition:
	
		
			 IT consultancy services £ 
		
		
			 May to August 2004 37,800 
			 May to June 2004 10,500 
		
	
	DVLA have also entered into a 10-year partnering contract with International Business Machines (IBM) on 12 September 2002. Under the terms of this contract IBM sub-contracts the ongoing provision of certain computer services for DVLA to Fujitsu.
	Fujitsu has retained and extended—for six months until June 2005—a subcontract with EDS to manage certain of the DVLA's communication links with other organisations, until they can be replaced by newer technology.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas trips, and at what total cost, have been made by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the costs of (a) flights, (b) internal travel, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence were of each trip.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport came into existence on 29 May 2002 following machinery of Government changes. The number of overseas trips made by the central Department in 2003–04 was £3,226, and for April–November 2004 was £1,883. The travel costs for 2003–04 were £1,245,285, and for 2004 were £746,303.
	Hotel costs were £30,868, and £18,891 respectively, and subsistence and other claimed costs were £453,419.15, and £331,009.64. Information for earlier years, and for any travel booked other than through the Department's central travel contract, can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	Total overseas travel and subsistence costs for the Department's Agencies (excluding Highways Agency) were £1,274,317 in 2003–04, and £1,191,088. A more detailed breakdown can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Policies (Edinburgh, North and Leith)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Edinburgh, North and Leith constituency, the effects on Edinburgh, North and Leith of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department has put in place a considerable programme of improvements across a wide range of transport policy areas since 1997. I am confident that the Edinburgh, North and Leith constituency will have benefited from these. For example, the injury totals for all road casualties in Great Britain fell from 327,803 in 1997 to 290,607 in 2003, and the numbers of children aged under 16 years killed or seriously injured on our roads fell from 6,452 in 1997 to 4,100 in 2003. On our railways, passenger kilometres have increased from 32.1 billion in 1996–97 to 40.9 billion in 2003–04, a rise of 27 per cent. In terms of improvements to air quality, emissions of the UK's two main pollutants—nitrous oxides and particles—fell by 31 per cent. and 27 per cent. respectively between 1997 and 2002.
	Responsibility for a number of transport functions in Scotland has been devolved to the Scottish Executive, including the Scottish road network, bus policy, air transport, lifeline ferry services and harbour improvements.
	Finally, the Department for Transport's website also contains data on transport trends over the past 20 years at http://www.dft.gov.uk.

Departmental Policies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of his Department's policies and actions since it was established.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department has put in place a considerable programme of improvements across a wide range of transport policy areas since 1997. I am confident that the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency will have benefited from these. For example, the injury totals for all road casualties in Great Britain fell from 327,803 in 1997 to 290,607 in 2003, and the numbers of children aged under 16 years killed or seriously injured on our roads fell from 6,452 in 1997 to 4,100 in 2003. On our railways, passenger kilometres have increased from 32.1 billion in 1996–07 to 40.9 billion in 2003–04, a rise of 27 per cent. In terms of improvements to air quality, emissions of the UK's two main pollutants-nitrous oxides and particles—fell by 31 per cent. and 27 per cent. respectively between 1997 and 2002.
	Responsibility for a number of transport functions has been devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government. For example, it is the Assembly that provides funding to local authorities in Wales in support of their local transport plans. Funds from the Strategic Rail Authority have supported improved passenger facilities and integration at Harverfordwest station in Pembrokeshire.
	Finally, the Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./. In addition, the Department for Transport's website also contains data on transport trends over the past twenty years at http://www.dft.gov.uk.

Driving Tests

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals (a) failed and (b) passed all parts of the driving test in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is unable to supply details of the number of individual candidates to have taken both parts of the driving test during the specified period. Many candidates will have taken either, or both, of the tests on more than one occasion. The following is a summary of the number of test passes and failures in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Theory pass Theory fail Practical pass Practical fail 
		
		
			 1999–2000 621,267 391,221 495,515 634,390 
			 2000–01 625,827 363,572 496,460 633,375 
			 2001–02 682,781 376,864 525,433 685,699 
			 2002–03 786,171 489,875 581,592 765,024 
			 2003–04 744,607 552,997 598,347 801,038

Footpaths (Devon)

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy not to renew the prohibition on pedestrian traffic on Footpath No. 10, Dartmouth to Castle Cove; and if he will instruct Devon county council to carry out the necessary works to make the footpath safe.

Charlotte Atkins: Although Footpath No. 10 has been closed for public safety reasons since June 2003, the Secretary of State will not make it his policy not to renew the temporary closure order originally made by Devon county council. If a further renewal request is made, he has a duty to consider it on its merits at the time and will take into account any current and relevant information about the circumstances of the request.
	The Secretary of State has no powers issue instructions to Devon CC to carry out the necessary works to make the footpath safe.

M1 (Closure)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the M1 Motorway was closed between junctions 27 and 28 on 20 January; how long the closure lasted; at what time northbound lanes re-opened; and upon whose authority the closure took place.

David Jamieson: Approximately 500 m of lanes 1 and 2 of the northbound carriageway of the Ml Motorway just north of junction 27 were closed by the police at about 2120 hours on 20 January as a result of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) overturning and partially blocking the carriageway. After recovery of the HGV and clearance of debris the northbound carriageway was fully re-opened approximately four hours 25 minutes later at 0145 hrs on 21 January. Responsibility for incident management in such circumstances is a matter for the police.
	During this period of time the northbound entry slip road at junction 27 was also closed.

Mobile Phones

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of how effective the ban on the use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving has been since its introduction.

David Jamieson: The Department for Transport carries out regular surveys of mobile phone use by drivers. The most recent survey carried out in September 2004 found that 1.1 per cent. of car drivers were using hand-held mobile phones, a 25 per cent. reduction since the survey in September 2003.

Mobile Phones

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has commissioned into the suitability of the level of the fine awarded for use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving.

David Jamieson: When the Department consulted on a proposal to introduce new regulations to prohibit the use of a hand-held phone while driving, comments were also invited on the penalty. The majority of responses considered that the offence should be made endorsable. This involves amending the road traffic acts, a proposal in the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament, making hand-held mobile phone use subject to endorsement of three penalty points, which will automatically raise the fixed penalty fine to £60.
	Meantime, using a hand-held mobile phone currently attracts a £30 fixed penalty or a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 for the driver of a goods vehicle, bus or coach), like most other Construction and Use offences.
	The Department's consultation document and decision letter of 24 June 2003 were placed in the Library. They are also available on-line at www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=10199&l=2.

Parking Spaces

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car parking spaces are provided for (a) those working in and (b) visiting his Department.

Charlotte Atkins: Approximately 10,150 spaces are available across the DfT estate of 1680 properties across the country, a number of which are located remotely from centres of public transport. Also a number of these locations have transport functions that require car parking spaces e.g. Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Rail Freight

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 958W, on railways, what assessment he has made of the priorities for the expansion of rail freight in the next five years (a) in the UK and (b) in the South East; what account will be taken when decisions are made on supporting such expansion of (i) corridors of need for rail freight services, with particular reference to ports and (ii) the need for transportation of particular products, with particular reference to (A) oil and (B) waste; and when he expects to make an announcement regarding his policy on rail freight.

Tony McNulty: Rail freight is a private sector industry and the expansion of the industry should be carried forward through the actions of rail freight operators and their customers. However, the Government have clearly set out their support for encouraging growth in rail freight through measures in the White Paper The Future of Rail".
	The Strategic Rail Authority have made ongoing assessments of the demand for freight on the railways, and these market studies were referred to in the answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 958W.
	Much of the analysis in these studies is route specific, and therefore allow any regional impacts to be identified.
	With particular reference to ports, the studies imply that the demand for the movement of goods through deep sea ports is likely to increase. The SRA's analysis has informed the work carried out on the network, evidenced by the recent completion of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton gauge enhancement project.
	The information is also used in planning network use through the Route Utilisation Strategy and Regional Planning Assessment processes, ensuring that provision is made for the needs of the freight industry.
	These needs are assessed on a commodity-by-commodity basis, and any need in the network capacity to meet growth in oil and waste movement has been taken into account.

Rail Freight

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to meet the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group.

Tony McNulty: It is not the normal practice of the Government to release details of meetings with private individuals or companies. However, Ministers regularly meets a wide range of private companies with rail freight investment interests.

Rail Freight

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on large-scale railfreight interchanges.

Tony McNulty: In March 2004 the Strategic Rail Authority published the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy. The document is on the internet at the following address: http://www.sra.gov.uk/publications/strategy/freightinterchange/interchangepolicy and will be made available in the Library of the House.

Rail Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the timetable for the distribution of services provided by Central Trains between other train operating companies;
	(2)  whether through-rail services between Droitwich Spa and Malvern will be maintained following the distribution of the Central Trains franchise between other train operating companies.

Tony McNulty: Work is in hand to analyse options and then to determine the exact nature and timing of the redistribution of Central Trains' services. This is primarily a matter of redistribution of services among other franchises and so through services between Droitwich Spa and Malvern are currently expected to continue to be provided.

Rail Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the quality and reliability of information to passengers (a) on trains, travelling between and (b) at stations in Birmingham and Worcestershire.

Tony McNulty: Real time information screens are to be provided at Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The works should be completed by November 2005. All conductors on Central Trains have been issued with mobile phones in order to provide a means of communicating train-running information and alternative service arrangements during times of disruption.

Rail Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that expansion of powers to passenger transport executives does not have an adverse impact on train services in surrounding shire county areas.

Tony McNulty: The Future of Rail" White Paper and the Railways Bill will give the Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) greater flexibility to make trade-offs between heavy rail and other modes. Our aim is that the choices that the PTEs make under the new framework should not have an adverse impact on the train services in surrounding local authority areas.
	Although the PTEs will be able to propose reductions to rail services in their areas and retain the savings, this will only apply to any services wholly within their Metropolitan areas and those outside which are wholly funded by the PTE. Similarly, although PTEs will be able to fund additional services themselves, they will only be able to introduce them where they do not significantly adversely impact on the wider objectives for the rail network in that area.
	Following enactment of the Railways Bill, PTEs will be able to propose closures of rail services, networks and stations. However, they will only be able to propose closures that fall wholly within their Metropolitan boundary or that they wholly fund themselves.

Rail Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of line speed restrictions in Worcestershire on the punctuality and reliability of local train services.

Tony McNulty: Speed restrictions are applied by Network Rail to ensure the safe operation of services. I understand from Central Trains that current speed restrictions in the Worcestershire area can result in some journey times being extended by one or two minutes, which can have a detrimental knock-on effect on performance. It is for Network Rail to determine in consultation with train operators how best to deal with these operational matters.

Rail Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans there are (a) to renew signalling in the Worcestershire area and (b) to introduce a new signalling section between Worcester and Droitwich Spa;
	(2)  what plans there are to remodel track layouts between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street Stations.

Tony McNulty: These are operational matters for Network Rail. Network Rail will respond directly to the hon. Member.

Rail Services

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have travelled (a) to and (b) from Stoke-on-Trent railway station in each of the last seven years.

Tony McNulty: The information in the following table is based on ticket sales and provides the total journeys made to and from Stoke-on-Trent for each of the last seven years.
	
		
			  From Stoke-on-Trent To Stoke-on-Trent 
		
		
			 1997–98 614,365 613,341 
			 1998–99 623,476 624,098 
			 1999–2000 630,931 629,616 
			 2000–01 569,732 571,336 
			 2001–02 564,228 564,509 
			 2002–03 556,823 560,766 
			 2003–04 476,415 476,854

Railway Stations (Disabled Access)

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much is available in the Access for All fund to improve disabled access at railway stations; and what criteria are used for distribution of grants from the fund;
	(2)  what the passenger footfall is of each railway station prioritised or considered under the Access For All fund; and how much funding has been allocated from the fund to each station.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority intends to publish a consultation document on its Accessibility Strategy shortly. The document will deal with the prioritisation and funding of work at stations to improve accessibility. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

Road Accidents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the length of time a driver has had a licence is recorded at motorway accidents.

David Jamieson: Road collision reports compiled by the police do not include this information. However, the Department has carried out research on novice driver accidents. This indicates that, although young novice drivers are more at risk than other drivers in all or most situations, motorways do not present them with a disproportionately higher risk than other road types.

Rural Transport

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what initiatives his Department has introduced since 2001 to support transport provision in rural areas.

Charlotte Atkins: In the period covered by the financial years 2000–01 to 2004–05 we have made available a total of £221 million in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant to help local authorities to support new and enhanced rural bus services. In the same period awards totalling £81 million have been made to local authorities for projects submitted under the Rural Bus Challenge scheme.
	A number of other initiatives have been of particular relevance to transport provision in rural areas. In 2002 we extended eligibility to Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to a wide range of community transport operations. Some 700 community transport groups are now claiming the grant, many of them in rural areas. Last year we introduced changes to regulations making it easier to provide flexible and demand responsive bus services and making these services eligible for BSOG. We have also issued guidance to authorities on the introduction of accessibility planning which provides a framework for improving accessibility in rural areas and elsewhere.

Transport for London

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and Transport for London on the definition of rail services in London.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 1 February 2005
	There is no Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and Transport for London on the definition of rail services in London.
	The Railways Bill which is currently under consideration by Parliament, defines a London railway passenger service" as
	(a) a service for the carriage of passengers by railway between places in Greater London; or
	(b) a service for the carriage of passengers by railway between places in Greater London and places outside Greater London."
	In addition, for the purposes of network modification procedures, the Railways Bill defines excluded London service" as a service that is
	(a) provided by Transport for London or a subsidiary of Transport for London; or
	(b) is designated as a London service for the purposes of this section (25) by an order made by the Secretary of State, or is of a description of services so designated".
	The exact role of the Mayor in respect of some or all London railway passenger services has yet to be finalised. Last year's Railways White Paper (The Future of Rail, 15 July 2004, Cm 6233) identified a number of areas where a greater role for the Mayor would be considered. Once that work is complete it is intended to publish a Memorandum of Understanding setting out the Mayor's role. The Future of Rail White Paper also made it clear that there would be full consultation in respect of any Mayoral role beyond the GLA boundary.

Welsh Language Scheme

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented.

Charlotte Atkins: The former Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions agreed a scheme with the Welsh Language Board that was published on 17 July 2001. Following machinery of Government changes in June 2002, the Department for Transport has continued to operate a Welsh language scheme on this basis. An updated version will be published later this year.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Learning Inspectorate

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expenditure of the Adult Learning Inspectorate was in each year since its establishment; and what the estimated budget for the next financial year is.

Ivan Lewis: The Adult Learning Inspectorate became operational on 1 April 2001. Its expenditure was £17.1 million in 2001–02, £24.5 million in 2002–03, £27.8 million in 2003–04 and estimated expenditure for 2004–05 is likely to be £27.6 million. The estimated budget for 2005–06 is £28.2 million. The reason for the increase in expenditure between 2001–02 and 2002–03 is because the ALI was building up to full capacity with substantial increases in inspection activity for both DfES and Jobcentre Plus.

Advance Level Qualifications (Examinations)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) research she has commissioned and (b) discussions she has had on devising examinations which can identify performance over the full range of grades envisaged for advance level qualifications in the Tomlinson Report"; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: We will be publishing a White Paper, containing our response to the Final Report" of the Working Group on 14–19 Reform, led by the former Chief Inspector of Schools, Sir Mike Tomlinson, in the near future.
	The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for developing qualifications and advising Ministers on the mechanisms for grading.

Apprenticeships

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work is being conducted on integrating apprenticeships into the diploma framework in the Tomlinson Report; and what discussions she has had with employers about this proposal.

Ivan Lewis: A White Paper on 14–19 reform will be published shortly. It is envisaged that apprenticeships will continue to form an important part of high quality learning provision for young people and will be fully integrated into any new arrangements. The Secretary of State regularly talks to employers and others on apprenticeships and related matters.

Looked-after Children

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of cared for children who received an official police caution in each year between 1997 and 2004.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the number of children looked after for at least 12 months for the years ending September 2000 to 2003 and who were convicted or subject to a final warning or reprimand during the year. Information was not collected centrally for the years between 1997 and 1999. The data are only available in this form—it is not possible to separate out the figures for those receiving a final warning of reprimand.
	
		Number at 30 September
		
			 England 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Number of children looked after for at least 12 months 42,200 43,400 44,100 44,900 
			 Of these: 
			 Number of children aged 10 or over at 30 September 25,700 27,000 28,200 29,100 
			 Of these: 
			 Number convicted or subject to a final warning or reprimand during the year 2,800 2,800 2,700 2,800 
		
	
	Source: DfES

Environmental Education

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the value is of her Department's financial support to non-governmental organisations involved in environmental education in 2004–05; what the budget for this purpose in the current year is; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 1 February 2005
	As stated in our Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education and Skills, we believe that environmental issues and sustainable development need to be embedded in policies throughout the education system. A number of our funding streams to NGOs include funds for environmental education to support, for example teaching resources, continuing professional development, and some core costs, giving a total of £983,100 in 2004–05.

GCSE Scores

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average GCSE points scores for each school type in England excluding GNVQ Part One qualifications and GCSE short courses have been in each year since 2000.

Stephen Twigg: The following table shows the average point score of 15-year-old pupils from 2000 to 2004 by school type based on achievements in GCSEs and Full course GNVQs only:
	
		
			  2004   
			  New points Old points 2003 2002 2001 2000 
		
		
			 Maintained mainstream schools   
			 Comprehensive 311.9 38.3 38.0 37.5 37.0 36.9 
			 Selective 473.7 62.8 61.7 61.3 60.5 60.1 
			 Secondary modern 279.5 33.5 33.2 32.5 32.1 31.5 
			
			 Institution type   
			 Community 300.7 36.7 36.4 36.0 35.6 35.5 
			 Voluntary aided 354.9 44.3 43.7 43.0 42.1 41.9 
			 Voluntary controlled 331.8 41.5 41.6 41.1 41.1 41.1 
			 Foundation 341.7 42.6 42.4 42.0 41.5 41.1 
			 Academies 230.9 26.8 22.8 — — — 
			 CTC 444.0 56.6 56.3 55.2 51.2 48.8 
			 Community special 17.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 
			 Foundation special 17.3 1.8 1.5 1.9 1.8 1.9 
			 Independent 402.7 53.4 53.7 53.6 53.3 52.7 
			 Non-maintained special school 67.9 8.0 8.1 7.6 8.8 7.7 
			 Independent special school 83.0 9.6 9.0 8.2 8.3 8.6 
			 Hospital schools and PRUs 29.3 3.2 3.1 6.0 5.4 5.0 
			 Total 315.6 39.1 38.9 38.5 38 37.8 
		
	
	Note:
	As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15-years at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.
	Please note that for 2004 figures are presented on two bases; a new point scoring system developed to allow inclusion of a wider range of approved qualifications and the previous point scoring system.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she has conducted a study into the impact of the introduction of identity cards on her Department's business.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills has been working closely with the Home Office to identify where the Identity Cards Scheme will provide benefits. This work is ongoing.

Institute of Assessment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in setting up the Institute of Assessment; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: As part of the exams modernisation programme, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is intending to set up an institute to represent the interests of examiners and improve the quality of assessment in general examinations. QCA has just completed a period of consultation with a range of interested parties and plans are still evolving. QCA hope to launch the institute later this year.

Learning and Skills Council

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will ensure that letters from the Learning and Skills Council responding to parliamentary questions, which neither contain confidential information nor are excessive in length, are printed in the Official Report; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I can confirm that under guidance issued by the Leader of the House concerning I will write" replies, when the substantive response has been issued, a copy is sent to Hansard for printing in the Official Report in the same way as for other written answers.

Salt

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what actions her Department is taking to mark National Salt Awareness Day on 26 January; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills has not taken any action to mark National Salt Awareness Day. The day was targeted at the over 60 age group, recommending that they cut their salt intake to reduce the risk of heart disease and having a stroke. There was no specific activity targeted at school children.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will list the speeches her special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date;
	(2)  if she will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present.

Derek Twigg: No speeches were made by the Department's special advisers during this time. Information on meetings during this time period is not held.
	All meetings held by special advisers and all speeches given by Special advisers are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Asian Tsunami

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much expenditure by his Department in response to the tsunami emergency has been allocated to Ministry of Defence Resources.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development estimates that up to £2.5 million of marginal costs will be incurred by the Ministry of Defence in supporting the emergency response to the Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami. This includes airlift, the deployment of HMS Chatham and RFA Diligence, two Bell helicopters used in Indonesia, and deployment and support of some specialist staff to Indonesia and the Maldives.
	The support of Ministry of Defence personnel and assets has been important in responding to specific needs following the disaster. The co-operation between the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development has been excellent.

Asian Tsunami

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on aid to victims of the Asian tsunami.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has committed £75 million towards immediate humanitarian needs. This assistance is being channelled through United Nations agencies, the Red Cross Movement, non-governmental organisations and by DFID direct action. Of this, £40 million has been pledged as the UK contribution to the UN Flash Appeal. As well as this support through the United Nations, DFID continues to make funding allocations to non-government organisations and to provide donations in kind.
	DFID will make a significant contribution to the longer-term reconstruction and rehabilitation of the regions devastated by the tsunami. We will follow the lead of the governments concerned in order to ensure that DFID's contribution is part of a properly co-ordinated and effective reconstruction plan and that it meets the needs of the affected governments and those who are in most need of assistance; we are therefore waiting until the governments in question have finalised the needs assessments which they are putting together with the support of the World Bank and others, before planning what assistance we will be offering. DFID will work to ensure that the views of the poorest and most vulnerable are taken into account throughout the process of rehabilitation.

Bangladesh

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 52W, on Bangladesh, what changes to the Chars Livelihood Programme: concept and management in Bangladesh Maxwell Stamp have requested as a result of the recent tsunami.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: There has been no request from Maxwell Stamp to change the Chars Livelihood Programme: concept and management as a result of the recent tsunami.

Carbon Capture

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects on carbon capture and storage have been supported by his Department in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: DFID has provided no direct funding for carbon capture and storage projects.
	Carbon (dioxide) capture and storage techniques, if they can be developed for use on a large scale, could be one way of reducing the future volume of energy-related carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Such emissions are widely thought to be contributing to global climate change.
	The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has invited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to prepare a report on carbon storage technologies for consideration by the conference of parties. Over 100 authors are involved in writing the report, which is expected to be finalised later this year (2005). The report is expected to include a summary for policymakers. UK Government inputs are being provided through the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Debt Relief

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding has been provided by the Government under the debt initiative recently announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, broken down into (a) funding provided before the initiative was announced and (b) additional funding planned under the initiative.

Hilary Benn: Under the new multilateral debt relief initiative, the UK will pay 10 per cent. of the debt service owed to the World Bank and African Development Bank on behalf of eligible countries. The initiative will cover payments from 1 January 2005.
	(a) Funding for this initiative was provided for in the most recent Spending Review, for 2005–06 to 2007–08. This initiative is additional to the UK's commitments of £2.3 billion of relief on its debts for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and $479 million to support debt relief from multilateral institutions through HIPC.
	(b) The review provided for an increase in resources allocated to DFID from £3.8 billion this year to £5.3 billion in 2007–08. Part of the additional resources was provided in view of the cost of extending further debt relief under the new initiative.
	20 countries are currently eligible for the initiative. The cost to the UK for these countries over the next three years is US$161 million and through to 2015 will be US$ 884 million. As more countries progress through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, or have Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) programmes approved, the list of eligible countries will expand. If all of the countries that could potentially qualify for this initiative did, the cost to the UK could rise to US$1,921 million through to 2015.

Energy

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of investment his Department is seeking in (a) energy efficiency and (b) renewable energy from the World Bank Group.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: As an outcome of the Extractive Industries Review, the World Bank made a commitment in 2004 to increase its annual lending for renewable energy and energy efficiency by an average of 20 per cent. per year, over the five years, to 2010. This is partly aimed at improving their balance of support between support for fossil fuel and renewable energy projects.
	DFID welcomes this decision by the World Bank Group as part of the effort towards improving access to sustainable and affordable energy services in developing countries. Existing investments by the bank in renewable energy and energy efficiency are relatively small. DFID is working with the bank to see if a higher level of such investments can be achieved. This includes our participation at an international forum in March 2005, being hosted by the World Bank, on scaling up renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries.

HIV/AIDS (Children)

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the UK Government are taking to ensure that civil society organisations in developing countries are able to access allocated resources for meeting the needs of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID fully recognises the key contribution that civil society organisations (CSO) have to play in tackling HIV and AIDS. We are therefore actively working to promote CSO involvement in national AIDS responses. We are, for example, working to find ways to help the flow of resources from national AIDS commissions to NGOs and CSOs. These, including faith-based organisations, have an important role in helping to meet the needs of children affected by AIDS—orphans and vulnerable children—in terms of protection, care and support.
	At the Global Partners' Forum on orphans and vulnerable children held in Washington DC in December 2004, I announced how the UK would meet our target of spending at least £150 million over the next three years to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. Most of this will be spent in Africa where the impacts of AIDS on children are most severe. DFID will mainly be providing funds though our country programmes to support national responses. We are however, already providing funds through NGOs to support vulnerable children in Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In a number of countries, such as Kenya and Zimbabwe, we are supporting the rapid assessment analysis and action plan process (RAAAP), which has been led by UNICEF. This has resulted in the development of 16 national action plans for orphans and vulnerable children. Effective civil society involvement in their implementation is an important issue for us and we will be working with UNICEF to ensure that civil society organisations are appropriately included in these programmes.
	An additional means of ensuring that civil society organisations are appropriately involved in responding to the needs of children affected by AIDS will be provided as we renew our agreements with key UK NGOs such as HelpAge International and Save the Children to include relevant AIDS-related work as a key objective. Out of the 18 partnership agreements we have with UK-based NGOs, 14 have specific objectives on HIV and AIDS. We will also increase our Civil Society Challenge Fund from £10 million to £14 million in 2005 and encourage proposals from NGOs wanting to provide support in this field.

International Financial Institutions

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on how International Financial Institutions (IFIs) should conduct consultations; what his policy is on which aspects of the (a) Cabinet Office and (b) EU codes on conducting consultations should apply to consultations run by IFIs; and if he will make it Government policy to object to consultations run by IFIs if they do not meet these terms.

Hilary Benn: Both DFID and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) recognise the benefits of consultation. It can improve the design of projects and policies, and increase developing countries' ownership of their own development.
	The IFIs have a diverse range of consultation guidelines for different types of policies and projects; DFID believes that this is appropriate. The EU guidelines on consultation also specifically state that
	the method and extent of the consultation performed must always be proportionate to the impact of the proposal subject to consultation."
	DFID does not believe it is appropriate to impose domestic guidelines on a multilateral organisation. Instead, we work with multilateral organisations to encourage them to make their consultations more transparent and comprehensive. In particular, we encourage IFIs to consult widely with affected parties, allowing an appropriate amount of time both for consultation and feedback. DFID also stresses the importance of ensuring that the consultation is tailored to local needs. In the ongoing negotiations of the 14th replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank which lends to the world's poorest countries, the UK has been pushing for strengthened documentation of stakeholder feedback from consultations required under the World Bank's safeguard policies.
	DFID believes that this approach works. For example, we successfully encouraged the Asian Development Bank to carry out extensive internal and external consultations on its Inspection Function. Consultation documents were posted on the Bank's website for comment; public consultation meetings were held with a wide range of people, including those affected by the project; and consultation workshops were held in 10 of the Bank's member countries. The Bank recognised how valuable this consultation process was, and later held extensive consultations on its public information and disclosure policies.

Palestine

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was received by the Palestinian Authority for (a) humanitarian and (b) military purposes from (i) the Government of the United Kingdom and (ii) other sources from the United Kingdom in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The information is as follows:
	(i) DFID's programme of assistance to the Palestinian Territory includes both developmental and humanitarian aid, to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and through other channels. Assistance to the Palestinian Territory since 1997 is shown in the table. Prior to 2004–05 none of this was provided directly to the PA. In 2004–05 £7 million was provided as direct support to the PA's budget.
	
		Assistance 
		
			  Humanitarian and development aid (£000) 
		
		
			 1997–98 6,091 
			 1998–99 5,180 
			 1999–2000 7,990 
			 2000–01 8,996 
			 2001–02 14,528 
			 2002–03 15,166 
			 2003–04 16,842 
		
	
	No military aid was given by the UK Government to the PA in the years shown, although the Ministry of Defence has recently posted a military liaison officer to examine future needs. The UK Government also support Palestinians through its share of EC assistance and via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
	(ii) There are substantial flows from the UK to Palestinians through private and non- governmental organisations. We do not track the exact amounts.

Road Safety

Lewis Moonie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what action his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in response to UN General Assembly Resolution A/58/L60 on Improving Global Road Safety; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what action his Department has taken in response to the World Health Organisation and World Bank report on road traffic injury prevention, published in April 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what funding was provided in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms for (i) transport-related projects, (ii) road transport-related projects and (iii) road safety-related projects in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The joint World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank World report on road traffic injury prevention brings much needed attention to the global impact of road accidents on low and middle income countries. DFID welcomes the UN resolution on Improving Road Safety noting the recommendations of the World Report and inviting the WHO to act as co-ordinator on road safety issues.
	The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) was established to increase awareness of road safety and promote sustainable reductions in death and injury on roads in developing and transition countries. DFID has supported the GRSP since it was founded in 1999. Our support in recent years has reduced as this partnership between businesses, civil society and Governments has become established drawing in contributions from a growing membership and our support is set to end in March this year. Since 1997, DFID has also supported a number of research projects under the theme improve transport safety and reduce the impact of accidents particularly for poor people in rural and urban areas".
	DFID is currently leading on setting up a new Transport Knowledge Partnership (TKP), which will serve as a means of disseminating knowledge on transport in the developing countries. The TKP will be launched later this month in Manila and is intended to become a common platform for development agencies and governments to share transport related knowledge and lessons, including road safety activities such as GRSP.
	DFID has maintained constant support to the transport sectors of developing countries. The funding we have provided has been in the region of £50 million to £60 million year on year since 1997. However as the total bilateral spend has doubled from 1997 to the present, the percentage allocated has fallen from 5.7 per cent. in 1997–98 to 2.1 per cent. in 2003–04. In addition to this project expenditure, DFID contributions to the multilateral donor organisations support the transport sector.
	Road transport forms approximately 40 per cent. of the transport portfolio. The following table gives expenditure for road-transport related projects for each year since 1997. The table also shows expenditure on road safety related projects.
	
		DFID bilateral expenditure -- £
		
			  Road-transport related projects Road-safety related projects 
		
		
			 1997–98 15,853,031 432,844 
			 1998–99 26,798,141 161,312 
			 1999–2000 18,289,936 265,407 
			 2000–01 18,401,680 369,485 
			 2001–02 22,331,636 292,057 
			 2002–03 20,804,834 244,870 
			 2003–04 19,902,211 331,592 
		
	
	Source:
	DFID Statistical Reporting and Support Group
	This work has involved research, road-safety education in schools and communities, engineering safety measures, and support to the Global Road Safety Partnership. Increasingly we are placing attention on working alongside others to promote road safety policies and practices, such as through the establishment of TKP and regionally through programmes such as the Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Policy Programme, which includes a road safety component. By raising awareness of road safety issues, some developing and transition countries are beginning to put more emphasis on funding road safety through their own budget allocations.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present.

Hilary Benn: DFID's special advisers attend a number of meetings with external representatives. DFID does not hold a full record of special advisers' meetings. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the speeches his special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date.

Hilary Benn: DFID's special advisers did not made any speeches in an official capacity in the period in question, as in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Tanzania

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the cost of the new debt initiative announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on his recent visit to Tanzania.

Hilary Benn: The UK's initiative aims to provide full relief on multilateral debt service so that no country committed to poverty reduction has to choose between servicing their debt and funding development. The UK will pay 10 per cent. of the debt service owed to the International Development Association (IDA) and African Development Fund (AfDF) on behalf of eligible countries. All low income countries with a demonstrated commitment to use additional resources provided by debt relief could be eligible. These countries are those that have reached Completion Point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and all other IDA-only (i.e. eligible to borrow only from the most concessional lending arm of the World Bank) Low-Income Countries (LICs) that have a Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) approved by the World Bank. Sri Lanka has also been added in light of the impact of the South East Asia tsunami.
	The list of currently eligible countries comprises 15 post-Completion Point HIPCs, four IDA-only LICs with PRSCs, and Sri Lanka. The initiative is effective from the start of 2005 covering debt service through to 2015, when a review will consider further needs. The UK's share of debt service payments for the currently eligible countries over the next three years will be around US $161 million. The cost to the UK for these countries through to 2015 will be US $884 million. This represents the minimum cost to the UK of this initiative.
	As more countries progress through the HIPC Initiative, or have PRSCs approved, the list of eligible countries will expand. The cost to the UK through to 2015 for all countries that could potentially qualify would be US $1,921 million. This represents the maximum cost to the UK of this initiative.
	Tanzania has formally completed the HIPC process and is therefore currently eligible to benefit from this relief. The UK will pay 10 per cent. of its debt service costs to IDA and the AfDF, which will amount to approximately US$ 14 million over the next three years, and US $74 million through to 2015.
	The UK is calling on all developed countries to join us in this initiative to provide full relief on multilateral debt service. For the World Bank and African Development Bank the cost of this full relief through to 2015 for currently eligible countries would be US $8.8 billion and US $19.2 billion for all potentially eligible countries. Full relief on debts owed to the International Monetary Fund could add up to another US $5 billion through to 2015 and the UK is proposing that this be financed by a sale or revaluation of the International Monetary Fund's gold reserves.

Welsh Language Scheme

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have a Welsh Language Scheme but works in consultation with our colleagues in the Welsh Assembly in order to provide major policy documents in Welsh.

TREASURY

World Poverty Reduction

Anne Picking: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contribution the UK is making to meeting the 2015 targets for reducing world poverty.

Stephen Timms: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the aim of all UK development policy. We pursue it by supporting countries' own efforts, including through increasing aid and delivering it better. We are working with G8 and EU governments this year to finance 100 per cent. multilateral debt relief and to secure agreement to the International Finance Facility to provide the resources needed.

Welfare to Work

Neil Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the effectiveness of welfare to work policies.

Paul Boateng: This Government's labour market policies—including New Deal and a successful macro-economic framework—have seen 2 million more people in work since 1997, real advances in skills and training, and a tax benefit system that ensures that work pays.

International Finance Facility

Mike Gapes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in representations to the IMF and World Bank on the international finance facility.

Stephen Timms: Good progress has been made in promoting the International Finance Facility (IFF) with other governments, international institutions, the business community, NGOs and faith groups. It now has the support of all the European members of the G7—the UK, France, Italy and Germany—as well as Sweden, which recently announced its support, and almost 50 emerging market and developing countries. In their recent reports on the IFF, the World Bank and the IMF have stated that the IFF is technically feasible" and the most advanced proposal to frontload aid".

Taxation

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of taxation on the state of the economy.

Dawn Primarolo: Since 1997 the Government have consistently delivered macroeconomic stability with strong growth and low inflation, thus establishing a track record that has been internationally acknowledged. The Government's approach to taxation balances the need to finance better quality public services, deliver fairness and promote sustainable development and economic activity while at the same time ensuring that the UK benefits from the advantages of being a lightly taxed economy.

Tax Credit Overpayment

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the current level of tax credit overpayment.

Dawn Primarolo: Overpayments of tax credits are established after the end of the tax year, when final income and circumstances for the previous year are known and the award can be finalised.
	Analysis of the numbers of families with over or underpayments for 2003–04 and the values of these cannot be known until all awards have been finalised. For families who previously provided estimates the deadline for reporting final 2003–04 income was 31 January 2005. All awards can now be finalised. Statistics on over and underpayments will be published in spring 2005 under National Statistics.

Small Shops

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the tax burden on small shops.

Dawn Primarolo: This Government's commitment to small businesses has been clearly demonstrated by our actions—we have:
	cut the small companies' corporation tax rates from 23 per cent. to 19 per cent.;
	introduced 40 per cent. first year capital allowances for small companies, with an enhanced rate of 50 per cent. for 2004–05;
	introduced R and D tax credits with a special payable credit for small companies; and
	simplification schemes to make VAT easier.
	The integrated HMRC will be working to minimise compliance burdens on small businesses by improving the service they offer.
	But every profitable business must pay its fair share of tax.

Government Staffing Levels

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the influence of central Government staffing levels on the level of taxation.

Paul Boateng: The Government have delivered sustained increases in public spending in order to deliver significant improvements in public services. As part of this, we expect to see an increase in the size of the front line service delivery work force—in particular for key public services like health and education.
	As part of the Government's Efficiency Programme, Departments are implementing reductions in civil service posts, with extra resources being focused on the front line.
	The 2004 Spending Review set administration cost limits for Departments which will reduce central Government running costs as a proportion of total spending to a record low.

Government Staffing Levels

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of public spending increases on levels of central Government staffing.

Paul Boateng: Government are committed to increased investment in health, education and criminal justice services, allowing for up to 250,000 new staff by 2008 to help deliver these key front line services. At the same time, the Government remain committed to achieving over £20 billion of efficiency savings, as identified by the Gershon Review. In all, this will lead to a gross reduction of 84,000 civil service administrative and support posts across UK Government Departments.

Stolen Assets

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is planning to ensure that assets stolen from poor countries, held in bank accounts abroad, are returned.

Stephen Timms: The Government will continue to play a leading role in promoting high international standards, aimed at increasing financial transparency and accountability worldwide.
	These efforts include strong support for robust anti-money laundering standards to help identify and report the proceeds of corruption; technical assistance aimed at building capacity in developing countries to tackle corruption; and domestic measures to identify and recover the proceeds of crime.

Civil Servants

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants have (a) been relocated and (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 month; and to which areas of the United Kingdom, broken down by Department.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor announced progress towards relocation targets in the pre-Budget report in December 2004. Further progress will be announced in Budget 2005. The destination of relocations away from London and the south east is a matter for individual departmental business plans.

Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer the letter of the hon. Member for Birkenhead, dated 17 January, regarding the tax credits of his constituents, Mr and Mrs Newnes.

Dawn Primarolo: I understand that the Inland Revenue will be writing to my right hon. Friend shortly. They aim to reply to 80 per cent. of correspondence within 15 working days, and 95 per cent. within 40 working days.
	The Revenue have not been able to deal with all customers' queries about their tax credit overpayments as quickly as they would have liked. Each case has to be reviewed on Its own merits and this inevitably takes some time. However, the Department have recently increased the staff deployed on this work and streamlined their procedures.

Education Expenditure

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on spending plans for education.

Paul Boateng: The Government regularly receive representations on spending plans for education.
	This Government are taking forward a programme of high investment in education and skills. From being £36 billion in 1996–97, the education and skills budget for the UK stands at £63 billion in 2004–05, and is set to rise to £76 billion by 2007–08.

Health Expenditure

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his estimates for projected levels of public expenditure on health.

Paul Boateng: As a result of the Government's policy in successive spending reviews, by 2008 public expenditure on health will have risen by 90 per cent. in real terms since 1997, to nearly £110 billion across the United Kingdom. That is the biggest-ever sustained increase in national health service funding.

New Deal

Andy Burnham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic effects of the New Deal.

Paul Boateng: Since 1998, over 1.2 million people have found work through the New Deal, contributing to a fall in long-term unemployment of three quarters. Independent research has confirmed the positive economic effects of the New Deal, finding, for example, that the economy as a whole is richer by £500 million a year as a result of the New Deal for Young People; that the social benefits outweigh the costs; and that the New Deal for lone parents doubles the employment chances of participants.

PES Database

Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a list of the tables and related fields of his Department's Public Expenditure Survey database together with diagrams showing the table relationships.

Paul Boateng: The data collected on the database is used to provide information to Parliament, and the public more widely, on public expenditure plans and outturn. In particular, the Public Expenditure System database is used to produce spending data in a range of publications, copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library. These publications include:
	Main Estimates
	Budgets and Spending Reviews
	Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA); and
	Departmental Reports

Working Tax Credits

Mark Fisher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Stoke-on-Trent have claimed working tax credit in each year since the credit was introduced.

Dawn Primarolo: For the number of in-work families in Stoke–on-Trent who have successfully claimed tax credits I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 408–09W.
	The number of other families in Stoke-on-Trent who have made claims for tax credits is not available.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of whether the BBC was in breach of its duties under the Communications Act 2003 in screening Jerry Springer—the Opera; whether the programme was in breach of the BBC's agreement with the Government on generally accepted standards; and what account her Department will take of whether breaches occurred in the process of renewal of the BBC's Charter.

Estelle Morris: The Department did not make an assessment. The Communications Act 2003 does not place duties about programme standards directly on the BBC. The Communications Act puts an obligation on Ofcom to set standards for the content of television and radio programmes which Ofcom is responsible for enforcing in relation to the BBC.
	The Department expects the BBC to comply with its obligations under the Agreement and the Board of Governors is the primary means by which such compliance is secured. Articles 7(1)(f) and 7(1)(b) of the Charter require the Governors to satisfy themselves that all of the activities of the BBC are carried out in accordance with their legal obligations and with the Agreement. Within the framework of the Charter and Agreement, the BBC is independent in editorial matters.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure by her Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii)2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Richard Caborn: The total cost to the Department of using external consultants in 1996–97 was £418,155.95 and in 2003–04 £473,785.35. The spend to date figure for 2004–05 is £492,161.42. No estimate of cost of employing external consultants in 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 has been made.

Departmental Policies (Edinburgh, North and Leith)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Edinburgh, North and Leith constituency, the effects on Edinburgh, North and Leith of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Richard Caborn: Most of the matters for which the Department is responsible in England have been devolved in Scotland to the Scottish Executive. However, there are some reserved areas in which the Government have introduced initiatives which affect Edinburgh, North and Leith.
	Through our commitment to public service broadcasting we have helped to foster an environment in which a creative, commercially successful broadcasting industry provides a wide range of UK-made, high quality original programmes catering for all viewers and listeners. We have ensured a secure funding base for the BBC and Channel 4, while giving them the freedom to develop commercial operations which complement and support their public service remit. The Communications Act 2003 includes provisions to ensure that public service broadcasting will continue to have a key role to play in the digital future.
	In November 2000 we introduced free television licenses for people aged 75 or over. Information on the number of beneficiaries by constituency is not available. However, according to Department for Work and Pensions records, the number of households in Edinburgh, North and Leith with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 was £2,810.
	The Gambling Bill will, when implemented, transfer responsibility for licensing Department for Culture, Media and Sport gambling premises to Licensing Boards. Local people and businesses will be able to make representations about applications for licenses and Licensing Boards will be able to decide not to issue licenses for casino premises. These changes will give local communities, including those in Edinburgh, North, and Leith, a greater say in the regulation of gambling in their area.
	No statistics are available for international visits or expenditure by constituency. However, VisitBritain's successful marketing activities in promoting Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination benefit all parts of the country, including Edinburgh, North and Leith.
	Information from the national lottery distributors indicates that since 2 May 1997 Edinburgh, North and Leith has benefited from over 720 awards totalling over £38.5 million. Of these, 46 awards worth over £4.3 million were made by the New Opportunities Fund which was established by the Government in 1999. The New Opportunities Fund merged with the Community Fund in June 2004 to form the Big Lottery Fund.

Departmental Policies (Hull, North)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Kingston upon Hull, North constituency, the effects on Kingston upon Hull, North of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Richard Caborn: The Department's aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. The Department's policies and actions have had a significant impact on Kingston upon Hull, North since 2 May 1997.
	In order to achieve our challenging targets for increased participation in sport and physical activity, we have invested in thousands of new and refurbished public sports facilities. In 2002 we launched the first ever comprehensive national physical education, school sport and club links strategy with an investment of £459 million. A school sport partnership involving eight School Sport Co-ordinators and 47 Primary Link teachers is based at St. Mary's College in Kingston upon Hull, North, which received a Sport England Lottery grant of over £390,000 towards its costs. St. Mary's College has also benefited from a Sport England grant of almost £2.5 million to improve its sports facilities, and over 40 sports projects in Kingston upon Hull, North have benefited from Awards for All grants worth over £140,000.
	We have increased our national funding to the arts by 60 per cent. from £199 million in 1998–99 to £367 million in 2004–05. Funding to Arts Council England, Yorkshire and the Humber has increased by 85 per cent. since 1997–98. Kingston upon Hull, North has benefited from grants to arts projects, organisations and individuals in Kingston upon Hull, including regular funding for the Hull Truck Theatre and Hull Time Based Arts.
	Schools in Kingston upon Hull, North were included in the first phase of the Creative, Partnerships programme which began in 2002. Creative Partnerships aims to give school children and their teachers the opportunity to explore their creativity by working on sustained projects with creative organisations and individuals, including artists, theatre companies, dance studios, museums, orchestras, film-makers and historic buildings. Funding of £65 million was allocated for the period 2002–05 to develop Creative Partnerships, and the programme will receive at least a further £86 million in 2005–08.
	Schools in Kingston upon Hull, North also benefit from the Humber Youth Music Action Zone, know as Music4U, which is run by a consortium of local authorities, including Kingston upon Hull City Council, and the National Centre for Early Music. Music4U was set up in September 2001 and has so far been awarded three grants totalling over £760,000. It has already reached over 15,000 children and young people, 85 per cent. of whom were first-time participants.
	Culture Online was launched in 2002 to increase access to, and participation in, arts and culture. Many of its projects are aimed at children of school age and at audiences that might not otherwise participate in arts and culture, including those who do not easily have access to arts and culture, people from deprived communities and people with particular educational or physical needs. People in Kingston upon Hull North will be among those who benefit from Culture Online. Between 2002 and 2004, £13 million was allocated to fund 20 Culture Online projects.
	Kingston upon Hull, North also benefits from museums initiatives in Kingston upon Hull. Kingston upon Hull Museums is a partner in the Yorkshire and Humber Hub, which will receive £3.36 million in the period 2003–06. Wilberforce House in Kingston upon Hull is benefiting from funding as part of the Renaissance in the Regions initiative to establish it as a centre for study, teaching and collections access as part of the 200thanniversary of the abolition of slavery in 2007. Kingston upon Hull Museums' collections relating to local history have been designated as part of our Designation Scheme to recognise outstanding collections in non-national museums. Since 2000 they have received grants totalling over £220,000 from the Designation Challenge Fund.
	Through our commitment to public service broadcasting we have helped to foster an environment in which a creative, commercially successful broadcasting industry provides a wide range of UK-made, high quality original programmes catering for all viewers and listeners. We have ensured a secure funding base for the BBC and Channel 4, while giving them the freedom to develop commercial operations which complement and support their public service remit. The Communications Act 2003 includes provisions to ensure that public service broadcasting will continue to have a key role to play in the digital future.
	In November 2000 we introduced free television licenses for people aged 75 or over. Information on the number of beneficiaries by constituency is not available. However, according to Department for Work and Pensions records, the number of households in Kingston upon Hull, North with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 was 3,815.
	We have changed the licensing laws to allow people to hold and attend commercial dances on Sunday, to make it easier for restaurants to open an hour later, and to relax the alcohol licensing hours from 11pm on new year's eve to 11am on new year's day in all future years; and we have given the police greater powers to take action against under-age drinking and disorderly and noisy licensed premises. The Licensing Act 2003, when fully implemented, will introduce a streamlined, consistent and fair licensing regime for the provision of alcohol, public entertainment and late night refreshment. It will provide greater choice for consumers, bring regeneration and increased employment opportunities and protect local residents whose lives have been blighted by disturbance and antisocial behaviour.
	The Gambling Bill will, when implemented, transfer responsibility for licensing gambling premises to local authorities. Local people and businesses will be able to make representations about applications for licenses and local authorities will be able to decide not to issue licenses for casino premises. These changes will give local communities, including those in Kingston upon Hull, North, a greater say in the regulation of gambling in their area.
	Tourism in Kingston upon Hull has increased with the assistance of Government-funded marketing activity. In April 2003 we established VisitBritain with a new domestic marketing remit for England, and we gave strategic responsibility for tourism development to the Regional Development Agencies, including Yorkshire Forward. These changes, together with VisitBritain's successful marketing activities in promoting Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination, benefit all parts of the country, including Kingston upon Hull, North. Although no assessment is made of the precise effect of this support for tourism in Kingston upon Hull, North, we estimate that total expenditure from overnight stays in the Yorkshire and Humber region by overseas and domestic visitors rose from £1.95 billion in 2000 to almost £2.25 billion in 2003.
	English Heritage has awarded grants worth almost £940,000 to Kingston upon Hull since 2 May 1997, including a grant of £20,000 to St. Alban, Hall Road in Kingston upon Hull, North.
	Information from the National Lottery distributors indicates that since 2 May 1997 Kingston upon Hull, North has benefited from over 200 awards totalling over £10.5 million. Of these, 46 awards worth over £3.8 million were made by the New Opportunities Fund which was established by the Government in 1999. The New Opportunities Fund merged with the Community Fund in June 2004 to form the Big Lottery Fund.
	In addition, Kingston upon Hull and four other Yorkshire cities have been jointly awarded £1.75 million in Lottery funding from the Urban Cultural Programme, which was established by the Millennium Commission and Arts Council England to build on the success of the Government's competition to select the UK's nomination for European Capital of Culture 2008.

English Heritage

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected grant in aid funding for English Heritage is for each of the next three years.

Richard Caborn: English Heritage's grant in aid funding for the next three years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2005–06 127,768,000 
			 2006–07 130,768,000 
			 2007–08 131,738,000

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by her Department in the last three years.

Richard Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W, by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie).

Lottery Funds

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure that investment income accruing to the lottery distributor during delays in complex heritage projects remains with that distributor.

Estelle Morris: Under the measure proposed in clause 8 of the National Lottery Bill, investment income will be shared out in the same fixed proportions as each distributor's share of operator-related lottery income. This will end the current arrangement whereby those distributors that manage to reduce their balances receive proportionately less investment income, and it will also make the estimation of future income simpler and more transparent for all. When this measure takes effect the Heritage Lottery Fund will therefore receive 16.67 per cent. of all the income that the lottery generates for good causes.

Olympic Games

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from national governing bodies for sport on the impact of devolution on UK medal prospects in Olympic team sports.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 31 January 2005
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received no specific representations regarding the impact of devolution on UK medal prospects in Olympic team sports.

Tourism

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the balance of payments in the tourism sector was in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The balance of payments in tourism for the UK in each of the last two years for which figures are available is shown in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			 Tourism balance of payments 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Expenditure by overseas residents in the UK 11,737 11,855 
			 Expenditure by UK residents overseas 26,962 28,550 
			 Balance of payments -15,225 -16,695 
		
	
	Source:
	International Passenger Survey
	Provisional figures for 2004 will be published on the 9 February on the National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk

Pay TV

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

Richard Caborn: pursuant to the reply, 10 January 2005, Official Report, c.48W
	I regret that in my previous answer the figures given for pay television subscription channels were incorrect. The correct figure for each of the years 2002–03 and 2003–04 is £20,203.92.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions her Department's Ministers used the Queen's flight in each of the past five years.

Richard Caborn: The Queen's flight service has not been used by any Ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the past five years.

Religious/Cultural Bodies (Funding)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will establish a fund similar to that set up with national lottery funding but which is accessible to those unable to accept money from the lottery on religious or cultural grounds.

Estelle Morris: We have no plans to do so. There is already a wide range of funds—in the public, private and voluntary sectors—available to those who do not wish to receive lottery money.

Sports Funding

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date she expects Lord Carter to publish the report on the review of the co-ordination of national sports effort and resources.

Richard Caborn: I am expecting Lord Carter's report on the co-ordination of national sports effort and resources shortly. A date has yet to be set for publication.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Taxi Drivers

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks on taxi drivers in North Belfast have been reported in the last year; and who was found to be responsible in each case.

Ian Pearson: Due to the nature of the statistics held by PSNI, it is not possible to ascertain how many specific attacks upon taxi drivers occurred between 1 January 2004 and 27 January 2005, as victims are not identified by occupation. However, the DCU Commander in North Belfast reports that between those dates 124 incidents involving taxis occurred. These incidents vary in nature and include incidents where persons run off without paying, as well as more serious offences such as assault and aggravated criminal damage.
	The vast majority of those incidents are unrelated to the recent series of attacks upon taxis and taxi drivers in North Belfast. The recent spate of attacks upon taxis in that area can be attributed to organized criminality with links both to the UVF and LVF. Since 1 December 2004, North Belfast DCU has recorded 12 incidents involving taxis. On three of those occasions a taxi driver was threatened. On 10 of those occasions a taxi has been set alight.

Autism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time from diagnosis for (a) occupational therapy and (b) speech therapy assessment of children with autistic spectrum disorders is in each of the health board regions in the Province.

Angela Smith: Information is not available on waiting times for occupational therapy in respect of children with autistic spectrum disorder.

Autism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources have been provided for the treatment of autistic spectrum disorders in the Western Health Board area.

Angela Smith: The Department's Priorities for Action 2004/05" requires boards and trusts to enhance diagnostic, assessment and early intervention services for children with autism. An additional £500,000 has been allocated to boards for this purpose, of which the Western Health and Social Services Board received £85,000.

Consultant Vacancies

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant vacancies there are in each health trust in the Province, broken down by specialty; and for how long each post has been vacant.

Angela Smith: Information requested is as follows.
	
		Number of consultant vacancies by Health Trust as atJanuary 2005
		
			 Trust Headcount Whole-time equivalent 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 11 11.00 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 0 0.00 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 7 7.00 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 8 8.00 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 0 0.00 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 13 11.64 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 10 10.00 
			 Foyle Community HSS Trust 2 1.30 
			 Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust 3 3.00 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 2 2.00 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 9 8.50 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 2 2.00 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 0 0.00 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 15 12.94 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 3 3.00 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 12 12.00 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 0 0.00 
			 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 14 14.00 
			 Total 111 106.38 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Health Trusts
	
		Number of consultant vacancies by speciality as at January 2005
		
			 Consultant specialism Headcount Whole-time equivalent 
		
		
			 Addictions/substance abuse 1 1.00 
			 Anaesthetics 18 18.00 
			 Cardiac anaesthetics 1 1.00 
			 Intensive care anaesthetics 1 1.00 
			 Paediatric anaesthetics 2 2.00 
			 Cardiology 3 3.00 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery 1 1.00 
			 Care of the elderly 1 1.00 
			 Care of the elderly (stroke care) 1 1.00 
			 Clinical oncology 2 2.00 
			 Ear, nose and throat 3 3.00 
			 Emergency medicine (accident and emergency) 2 2.00 
			 Endocrinology 1 1.00 
			 Fractures 1 0.55 
			 General internal medicine/care of the elderly 1 1.00 
			 General internal medicine and subspecialty 2 2.00 
			 General medicine 2 2.00 
			 General surgery 8 8.00 
			 Breast surgery 1 1.00 
			 Surgery-plastic and burns 1 1.00 
			 Haematology 4 4.00 
			 Histo cyto pathology 4 3.50 
			 Histopathology 1 1.00 
			 Immunology 1 1.00 
			 Microbiology 1 1.00 
			 Nephrology 1 1.00 
			 Obstetrics and gynaecology 3 2.14 
			 Obstetrics and gynaecology-HRT 1 0.27 
			 Opthalmics 1 1.00 
			 Paediatrics 1 1.00 
			 Physician 3 2.18 
			 Physician in diabetics 1 1.00 
			 Psychiatry 3 4.30 
			 Psychiatry-adult 3 1.00 
			 Psychiatry-child and adolescent 4 4.00 
			 Forensic psychiatry 2 2.00 
			 Radiology 16 15.44 
			 Radiology-breast screening 2 2.00 
			 Renal 2 2.00 
			 Restorative dentistry 1 1.00 
			 Urology 3 3.00 
			 Total 111 106.38 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Health Trusts
	
		Length of time each consultant post has been vacant as at January 2005
		
			 Trust/consultant: Length of time post vacant 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust:  
			 General medicine Post vacant for 4 months 
			 General surgery Post vacant for 11 months 
			 Ear, nose and throat Post vacant for 22 months 
			 2XAnaesthetics Post vacant for 15 months 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 19 months 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 2 years 
			 Microbiology Post vacant for 3 years 
			 Oncology Post vacant over 3 years 
			 Haematology Post vacant for 19 months 
			 Haematology Post vacant for 20 months 
			   
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust:  
			 Nil Nil 
			   
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust:  
			 Haematology Post vacant for 4 months 
			 Clinical oncology New post 
			 Radiology New post 
			 2XGeneral surgery New posts 
			 2XUrology New posts 
			 General surgery Post vacant for 4 months 
			 General surgery Post vacant for 5 years 
			 Emergency medicine Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Urology Post vacant for 5 months 
			 Anaesthetics Post vacant for 1 month 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 1 month 
			 Psychiatry—adult Post vacant for 6 months 
			 Psychiatry—old age Post vacant for 6 months 
			   
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust:  
			 Nil Nil 
			   
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust:  
			 Anaesthetics Post vacant for 11 months 
			 Anaesthetics New post pending appointment of a consultant breast surgeon 
			 Haematology Post vacant for 20 months 
			 Histo/Cyto pathology New post 
			 Histo/Cyto pathology Post vacant for 15 months 
			 Histo/Cyto pathology Post vacant for 17 months 
			 Histo/Cyto pathology Post vacant for 19 months 
			 Cardiology Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Obstetrics/gynaecology Post vacant for 16 months 
			 3XRadiology New posts 
			 Breast surgery New post 
			   
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust:  
			 2XPsychiatry-child and adolescent Posts vacant over 2 years 
			 General internal medicine and care of the elderly Post vacant over 2 years 
			 General internal medicine and subspecialty Post vacant for 7 months 
			 General internal medicine and subspecialty Post vacant for 1 month 
			 General surgery Post vacant over 1 year 
			 Addictions and substance abuse Post vacant for 9 months 
			 2XAnaesthetics Both posts have been filled by long-term locums, but one became vacant again in December 2004 
			 Endocrinology Appointment has now been made. Due to start in March 2005. 
			   
			 Foyle Community HSS Trust:  
			 Psychiatry Post vacant for 10 months 
			 Psychiatry Post vacant over 2 years 
			   
			 Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust:  
			 Psychiatry—child and adolescent Post vacant for 8 months 
			 2XAnaesthetics Posts vacant for 9 months 
			   
			 Homefirst Coummunity HSS Trust:  
			 Psychiatry—adult Post vacant for 4 months 
			 Psychiatry—adult Post vacant for 20 months 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust:  
			 General surgery Post vacant for 9 months 
			 Obstetrics Post vacant for 1 month 
			 Care of the elderly (interest in stroke care) Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Emergency medicine Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 2 years 
			 Physician in diabetics Post vacant for 9 months 
			 Cardiology Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Opthalmics New post 
			   
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust:  
			 Paediatrics Post vacant for 10 months 
			 Radiology Post vacant for 20 months 
			   
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust:  
			 Nil Nil 
			   
			 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust:  
			 Obstetrics/gynaecology Interviews February 2005 
			 Surgery—plastics and burns Appointment has now been made. Due to start in February 2005 
			 Histopathology Interviews February 2005 
			 Restorative dentistry Interviews March 2005 
			 2XPaediatric anaesthetics Long-term vacancies 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery Long-term vacancy 
			 Fractures Long-term vacancy 
			 2Xradiology Long-term vacancies 
			 Anaesthetics Long-term vacancy 
			 Cardiac anaesthetics New post—has not been advertised as yet 
			 Physician Long-term vacancy 
			 Obstetrics/gynaecology (HRT) Long-term vacancy 
			 Immunology Long-term vacancy 
			   
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust:  
			 Psychiatry—adolescent Post vacant for 5 months 
			 2XForensic psychiatry New posts—have not been advertised as yet 
			   
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust:  
			 1XGeneral surgery  
			 3XAnaesthetics  
			 2XRenal 2XENT Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust were unable to provide details on the length of time each post was vacant 
			 3XRadiology  
			 1XGeneral medicine  
			   
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust:  
			 Nil Nil 
			   
			 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust:  
			 5XAnaesthetics Posts vacant for 8 years 
			 Anaesthetics—intensive care Post vacant for 6 months 
			 Nephrology Post vacant for 2 years 
			 Physician—care of the elderly Post vacant for 2 years 
			 Radiology Post vacant for over 2 years 
			 Radiology—breast screening Post vacant for 3 years 
			 Radiology—breast screening Post vacant for 1 year 
			 Cardiology Post vacant for 6 months 
			 2XPhysician Posts vacant for 2 years

Costello Report

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons pupils in special units were not included in the figures on post-primary enrolments used in the Costello Report".

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 26 January 2005, Official Report, column 422W.

Counterfeit Medicines

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reports he has received of counterfeit medications being discovered in the Province within the legitimate wholesale medicines supply chain.

Angela Smith: There have been no reports of counterfeit medications appearing within the legitimate wholesale medicines supply chain in Northern Ireland.

Dentistry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the number of dentists in the Province.

Angela Smith: In order to facilitate the supply of suitably qualified dentists the Department funds a one-year vocational training (VT) scheme and a two-year general professional training (GPT) scheme. Prior to August 2000 there were 20 VT places, this has been increased to the current level of 24 VT places and four dental trainees in each year of the GPT scheme. This represents an annual total of 28 health service training places for graduate dentists in Northern Ireland.
	The requirement for dentists is monitored through the Department's ongoing work force planning process.

Dismissed Health Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are taken to ensure health service employers are fully informed (a) of potential employees who have been forced to leave other posts within the health sector and (b) of the details of their departure.

Angela Smith: Recruitment and selection procedures are a matter for individual Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) employers and it is the responsibility of the employer to carry out all necessary pre-employment checks. In addition, for medical and dental staff a system of alert letters is in place whereby all HPSS employers are notified in cases where a doctor or dentist, who has been dismissed or suspended, poses a potential risk to the safety of patients and it is believed he/she will seek work elsewhere. The Department is currently reviewing the procedures that exist for alert letters with a view to potentially extending the process to cover other health care staff.

Firearms Order

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he defines a fit person to be entrusted with a firearm within the terms of Article 9 of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: There is no statutory definition of the term fit person as used in Articles 5 and 9 of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. The protection and safety of the public lies at the heart of the legislation, which requires that an applicant for a firearms certificate or a current holder, should be a person who is fit to be entrusted with a firearm or ammunition. There are various matters which the Chief Constable may take into account before making a decision. Guidance on this and all other forearms licensing issues is contained in the Guidance on Northern Ireland Firearms Controls, which is available on the Northern Ireland Office website www.nio.gov.uk

Football

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Irish Football Association on the staging of the under-19 European Football Championships in venues across Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Extensive discussions have taken place with the Irish Football Association (IFA) on the staging of the Under-19 European Football Championships in venues across Northern Ireland. I can confirm that the IFA have set up a limited company to oversee the arrangements for hosting the tournament which will attract funding from the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Events Company, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, UK Sport, Belfast city council and Ballymena borough council.

Former Loyalist Paramilitaries

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had on the funding of measures dealing with schemes for former loyalist paramilitaries.

Paul Murphy: Recent meetings with representatives of loyalism have focused on a range of issues affecting Protestant communities in general. All discussion has been in the context of ongoing work to address the needs of working class Protestant communities. No specific funding proposals have been brought forward. Any work on this will be done through properly structured and audited initiatives.
	I and my Ministers do, of course, continue to stress that real progress on these issues can only be made when paramilitary organisations give their unequivocal commitment to bringing an end to paramilitarism and criminality.

Health Service Development

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice has been given to health boards and trusts in the Province by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety regarding service development over the next three years.

Angela Smith: The Department is currently discussing with Boards the specific priority areas for service development for inclusion in Boards' Health and Wellbeing Investment Plans and Trust Delivery Plans. It has, however, already been made clear to Boards and Trusts that priority will be given to the reform and modernisation of hospital and associated primary and community care services. The Department expects significant increases in productivity and improved quality and safety of services to be achieved as a result of the ongoing re-configuration of existing services and new ways of working made possible by a range of pay reforms currently being implemented.

Juvenile Alcohol and Drug Admissions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children (a) attended and (b) were admitted to hospital in the Province as the result of (i) alcohol and (ii) illegal drug use in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: Information is not available centrally on the number of children who attended hospital as a result of alcohol or illegal drug use. Information is collected on the number of admissions 1 of children to Northern Ireland hospitals as the result of alcohol and illegal drug use.
	In 2003–04 (the latest data available) there were 90 admissions (based on primary diagnosis) to acute hospitals in Northern Ireland for children aged 16-years or under with an alcohol related illness.
	In 2003–04 there were seven admissions (based on primary diagnosis) to acute hospitals in Northern Ireland for children aged 16-years or under with an illegal drug related illness.
	1 Discharges and Deaths are used as an approximation for admissions.

Knives

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation for Northern Ireland equivalent to the legislative provisions regarding knives proposed by the Scottish Executive; and what plans the Government have to reduce the use of knives in crimes in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: We are considering the incidence of knife crime in Northern Ireland and are closely monitoring the development of policies in other jurisdictions, including Scotland, to assess their appropriateness for Northern Ireland.

Legionnaires' Disease

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the North Down area; and what steps he is taking to prevent such an outbreak reccurring.

Angela Smith: Three people living in the North Down and Ards area were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease since the end of December. An incident team chaired by a Communicable Diseases Control Consultant in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board was set up to investigate these cases.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) and Environmental Health Officers are actively working to try and establish a source of the legionella infection and are continuing with their investigations. HSENI has liaised with the district council to arrange inspection of several cooling towers and similar plant and their retreatment/disinfection. Treatment regimes have also been reviewed and other potential sources of infection in the area examined. Appropriate advice on cleaning and decontamination measures has been provided. Further laboratory reports results are awaited in a number of cases.

Maternity Units

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 977W, on maternity units, what the reasons were for the temporary arrangement in December 2004; what form this arrangement took; and when it is expected to end.

Angela Smith: The midwife-led unit in Craigavon Area Hospital is currently operating with two rather than three midwives. These temporary arrangements were put in place due to staff sickness and a high level of obstetric activity within the main delivery suite and the maternity wards. This action has been necessary in order to ensure that a safe service is provided across all the trust's maternity services. I would emphasis that the extent of change was the reallocation of one midwife only and that this measure is temporary, circumstance-specific, and under continual review.

Migrant Workers (Translation Services)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide information about emergency services to newly arriving migrant workers in their own language upon arrival.

John Spellar: There is a range of organisations, both statutory and voluntary, within Northern Ireland involved in the provision of support to migrant workers including the provision of information on services. Some provide welcome packs" in English and a variety of minority languages where there is a demand. The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has provided funding from its minority ethnic voluntary organisation fund for this purpose, for example to the South Tyrone Empowerment Programme.
	Also the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is planning a booklet for migrant workers outlining where and how to seek advice, support and redress against racism and to access public services. This booklet is due to be published in March 2005. It is anticipated that the booklet will be published in a variety of languages.
	However, we recognise that we still have a great deal to do in facing the challenges posed by the arrival of increasing numbers of migrant workers in Northern Ireland. This has been brought into stark relief by the horrific ordeal of the Ukrainian national who had her legs amputated after suffering from frostbite as a result of sleeping rough. Clearly, Government and others need to establish, as a matter of urgency, what lessons we can learn from this horrific experience. To this end a multi-agency review and assessment meeting is being facilitated by the northern health and social services board in the near future.
	I have asked my officials to investigate whether there are gaps in provision of information services and welcome packs, how to plug any gaps and the scope for setting out minimum standards. We recognise, however, the crucial role of the voluntary and community sector in providing information that is tailored to specific communities across Northern Ireland and we would wish this to continue. I also wish to see employers and trade unions working with us on this important area.
	The rapid changes in the composition of the migrant worker population in Northern Ireland and the sheer diversity of source countries for migrant workers means that it is unlikely to be practical to offer every single migrant worker, regardless of the language they speak, a welcome pack in their own mother tongue. However, I would hope that such packs could be made available in those languages that are most frequently used.

Migrant Workers (Translation Services)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many migrant workers were estimated to be in Northern Ireland on 1 January; and how many he estimates had (a) a basic understanding of the English language and (b) access to an interpreter for urgent medical assistance if required.

John Spellar: Research commissioned by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister—Migrant Workers in Northern Ireland" (June 2004) indicates that:
	migrant workers are a growing category of employees in Northern Ireland and they are a necessary factor for many employment sectors due to a shortage of available local labour".
	I have arranged for copies of the research report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	This research indicates the difficulty in identifying the total number of migrant workers in Northern Ireland with any degree of accuracy. In particular, nationals from countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and family members of EEA nationals are exempt from immigration control and have a right to enter, reside and work in the UK without the permission of any UK authority. Thus there is no central body that records their migration to Northern Ireland. Migrant workers from outside the EEA are allowed to work here under work permit arrangements which are regulated by the Home Office.
	The 2001 Census indicates that there were 5,940 people in Northern Ireland who were born in EU countries (excluding the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) and 20,719 people born in non-EU countries. This gives a maximum figure of 26,659 people who could be classified as migrant workers or dependents of migrant workers.
	Home Office records show that 3,253 applications for work permits were approved from employers with a Northern Ireland postcode in 2003 and 3,827 in 2004.
	I have asked my officials to work with their colleagues in other Government Departments including the Home Office, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, trades unions and business interests to see how they can work together in this area, to improve the availability of information on flows of migrant workers into Northern Ireland—to ensure that Government Departments, agencies and others can respond effectively to the needs of migrant workers.
	The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is to be commended for the lead that it is taking in gathering examples of good practice in the employment of migrant workers. Many employers in both the public and the private sector are to be commended, too, for their good practice in working with and supporting employees from overseas. The Equality Commission has held a range of seminars and roundtable discussions to encourage employers and service providers to meet their obligations to migrant workers. Together with Business in the Community it is organising a Migrant Workers: Building on Best Practice" conference for later in the year. I strongly support this initiative. I would wish to see greater exchange of good practice between employers (including trade unions) and recognition by all employers of their responsibilities—legal and moral—towards their workers and society in Northern Ireland.
	I do not have details of the English language skills of migrant workers. We do know that the language barrier is a problem for many migrant workers, their family members and members of minority ethnic groups who do not speak English as their first language or who speak little English and for the statutory agencies involved in the provision of services. Government are committed to effective communication with all its customers and to ensuring that services are as accessible as possible to all members of the community, including people from minority ethnic groups and migrant workers. DHSSPS does not have information on the number of migrant workers accessing emergency medical services. In emergencies hospitals use interpreting services provided by Language Line and other providers.
	For its part, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) introduced new interpretation procedures in September 2004. Telephone interpreters are available 24hours a day, seven days a week, and are available from any phone, including mobiles, from any location. This has considerably increased the Police Service's ability to liaise quickly with individuals who cannot understand English. Face-to-face interpreters are also available if required.
	Finally, the PSNI is currently working with its telephone interpretation service provider to investigate ways of handling emergency calls made by people who cannot speak English.

Nursing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many whole-time equivalent nursing vacancies there are at each health trust in the Province.

Angela Smith: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of nursing vacancies by health trust as at28 January 2005
		
			 Trust Whole-time equivalent 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 51.87 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 12.59 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 77.35 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 6.80 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 3.53 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 21.76 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 22.25 
			 Foyle Community HSS Trust 48.26 
			 Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust 54.60 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 31.03 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 71.80 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 2.50 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 44.82 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 139.03 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 17.33 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 0.00 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 5.80 
			 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 37.38 
			 Total 648.70 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Health Trusts

Nursing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nurses from overseas were employed by each health trust in the Province on the latest date for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of nurses from overseas employed by health trust as at 28 January 2005
		
			 Trust Headcount 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust 33 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 0 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 70 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 13 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust 2 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 41 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust 56 
			 Foyle Community HSS Trust 1 
			 Greenpark Healthcare HSS Trust 56 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust 47 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital HSS Trust 54 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 13 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 0 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 219 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 0 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 22 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Group HSS Trust 118 
			 United Hospitals Group HSS Trust 67 
			 Total 812 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Health Trusts

Police Service

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers were on duty on average during (a) day and (b) night shifts in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by principal duty of each officer;
	(2)  how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers were on duty on the night of (a) 23 and (b) 24 November.

Ian Pearson: The deployment of resources by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, on any day or night shift, is based upon predictive demand and intelligence. On 23 November 2004, the level of resources deployed in both operational regions of the PSNI (on both early and night shifts) was as follows:
	
		Resources on duty in operational regions 23 November 2004
		
			  Day Night 
		
		
			 Security duty 182 141 
			 Call management 49 45 
			 Station duty officer 63 51 
			 Response policing team 633 449 
			 Community policing team 533 81 
			 Support to response and community policing (including custody officers, national intelligence model officers, operational planning, community safety officers, domestic violence officers, youth diversion officers, crime prevention officers etc.) 617 54 
			 Senior command (chief inspector and above) 95 21 
			 DCU criminal investigation 235 47 
			 Tactical support group 284 105 
			 Roads policing 84 16 
			 Belfast regional control 18 18 
			 Total 2,793 1,028 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.This information relates to resources in both operational regions of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, rural and urban. They provide a snapshot only of resources at 3pm and 3am on early and night shift on 23 November 2004, and should be read in that context. These figures can vary due to shift changeovers and variable shift patterns.
	2.The support provided to response and community policing teams has an important role in frontline service delivery. Community safety teams, domestic violence officers etc. all provide a frontline service, and deal with victims, perpetrators and witnesses on a daily basis.
	3.It is not possible to state how many officers attached to all headquarters departments were on duty on that date as only manual records are held and a manual search would be required that would incur disproportionate cost. This includes murder investigation teams, serious crime teams etc.

School Interface Funding

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which schools in North Belfast have received funding to address interface problems in each year since 2000.

Barry Gardiner: pursuant to the reply, 1 February 2005, Official Report, c.879W
	The schools in North Belfast which have received funding to address interface problems in each year since 2000 are:
	
		
			 Financial year School 
		
		
			 2000–01 None 
			 2001–02 Holy Cross Girls' primary school 
			  Wheatfield primary school 
			   
			 2002–03 Holy Cross Girls' primary school 
			  Wheatfield primary school 
			   
			 (From December 2001) Ballysillan primary school 
			  Cliftonville primary school 
			  Currie primary school 
			  Grove primary school 
			  Holy Cross Boys' primary school 
			  Holy Family primary school 
			  Lowood primary school 
			  Mercy primary school 
			  Our Lady's Deanby Gardens primary school 
			  Sacred Heart primary school 
			  St. Mary's Star of the Sea primary school 
			  St. Patrick's primary school 
			   
			 (From March 2002) Bunscoil Bheann Mhadagain School Ben Mhadagain Prep 
			  Carr's Glen primary school 
			  Cavehill primary school 
			  Cedar Lodge Special primary school 
			  Edmund Rice (Christian Brothers) primary school 
			  Ligoniel primary school 
			  Our Lady of Lourdes primary school 
			  Seaview primary school 
			  St. Gabriel's college 
			  St. Therese of Lisieux primary school 
			  St. Vincent de Paul primary school 
			  Star of the Sea Girls' primary school 
			   
			 2003–04 Holy Cross Girls' primary school 
			  Wheatfield primary school 
			  Ballysillan primary school 
			  Cliftonville primary school 
			  Currie primary school 
			  Grove primary school 
			  Holy Cross Boys' primary school 
			  Holy Family primary school 
			  Lowood primary school 
			  Mercy primary school 
			  Our Lady's Deanby Gardens primary school 
			  Sacred Heart primary school 
			  St. Mary's Star of the Sea primary school 
			  St. Patrick's primary school 
			  Bunscoil Bheann Mhadagain 
			  Carr's Glen primary school 
			  Cavehill primary school 
			  Cedar Lodge special primary school 
			  Edmund Rice (Christian Brothers) primary school 
			  Ligoniel primary school 
			  Our Lady of Lourdes primary school 
			  Seaview primary school 
			  St. Therese of Lisieux primary school 
			  St. Vincent de Paul primary school 
			  Star of the Sea Girls' primary school 
			   
			 2004–05 Holy Cross Girls' primary school 
			  Wheatfield primary school 
			  Currie primary school 
			  Holy Family primary school 
			  Ligoniel primary school 
			  Our Lady of Mercy secondary school

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures are in place to assist key workers in obtaining affordable housing within the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Affordable housing assistance for eligible key workers within the Greater London area is available through the Key Worker Living programme. The £690 million programme provides:
	Equity loans of up to £50,000 to help key workers buy a home on the open market or a new property built by a registered social landlord.
	Higher-value equity loans of up to £100,000 for a small group of school teachers with the potential to become leaders of London's education system in the future.
	Shared ownership of newly built properties.
	Intermediated rented accommodation.
	Access to short term rented accommodation through the NHS Trusts.
	Key workers may also benefit from the shared ownership and homebuy programmes funded by the Housing Corporation to help existing social tenants and those on waiting lists into home ownership.

Buildings Demolition (Liverpool)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (b) the Minister for the Arts and (c) the Minister for Media and Heritage about his proposals to demolish buildings in Liverpool.

Keith Hill: There is close co-operation between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that heritage is an important consideration in regeneration schemes.

Buildings Demolition (Liverpool)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with English Heritage about his plans to demolish buildings in Liverpool.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is ensuring that New Heartlands housing market renewal pathfinder, Liverpool Vision and Liverpool city council are working with English Heritage to ensure historic character and local distinctiveness can be used as positive drivers for regeneration and renewal in the city.

Business Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average business rates bill for businesses in England has been in each year since 1997–98; and what the estimated average bill will be in 2005–06.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested for 1997–98 to 2004–05 inclusive is tabled as follows; that for 2005–06 is not yet available.
	
		Average business rates bills; local lists, England
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 7,011 
			 1998–99 7,078 
			 1999–2000 7,393 
			 2000–01 8,111 
			 2001–02 8,888 
			 2002–03 8,999 
			 2003–04 9,135 
			 2004–05 9,312 
		
	
	Note:
	Net rate yield from local lists divided by the number of hereditaments on local lists as at 31 December of the previous year.
	Source:
	NNDR returns from billing authorities
	The rateable values for individual properties—and hence actual rates bills—vary greatly. Changes in the total for some years around 2000–01 are affected by transfers of properties from the central list to local lists, transfers of crown properties to local lists and the adjustment made to the multiplier at the time of the 2000 revaluation to take account of losses from appeals.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when his Department will reply to the letter of 21 December 2004 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry, concerning a constituent.

Yvette Cooper: The Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope), replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 2 February 2005.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average band D council tax has been in each Government office region in each year since 1997–98.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is given in Table 2.2f of Local Government Financial Statistics, England, No. 15 2004", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The table can also be found at http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/lgfsl5/tables/lgfsl5–2-2f.xls.

Departmental Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many contracts in his Department have been granted to (a) EDS, (b) Fujitsu and (c) EDS and Fujitsu jointly in each of the last two years; whether they were open to competition; for what they were granted; for how much, and over what period of time; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government offices for the regions, has granted two contracts to Fujitsu in the last two years. These were for Managed IT Services to the Government Offices for the Regions, and were annual extensions of an existing contract pending recompetition. The contracts were each worth £1.75 million, and were procured through the Office of Government Commerce GCAT catalogue.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has granted no contract to EDS or jointly EDS and Fujitsu in either of the last two years.

Departmental Policies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of his Department's policies and actions since it was established.

Yvette Cooper: Along with other Government Departments, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to improving the lives of people across the whole of the United Kingdom, including South Wales.
	However, the services for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is directly responsible in England are mostly devolved and therefore a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

Departmental Television Subscriptions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which television channels comprise the cheapest available business cable and satellite package that his Department subscribes to.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister no longer subscribes to any cable or satellite television packages, other than those provided to Ministers and designated officials via the Parliamentary Video network. These are part of the House of Commons VIP account, which is delivered to all MPs and ministerial offices free of charge. All other television channels provided to officials are now via free to air services.

Departmental Television Subscriptions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether private ministerial offices had access to the Sky Sports 1 television channel prior to November 2003.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established in May 2002. Since then its ministerial offices have been served with television via the Parliamentary Video network. This is part of the House of Commons VIP account, which is delivered to all MPs free of charge rather than being a subscription service. The service is administered by Initial Communications for the House Commons and is also made available free of charge to the offices of those MPs that hold ministerial posts. The package includes 24 channels, division bells and annunciator. Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3 are also included.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how much Swale borough council has paid in disabled facilities grant in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much Swale borough council has allocated to disabled facilities as a percentage of its housing allocation since 1997;
	(3)  how many disabled people in Sittingbourne and Sheppey applied for a disabled facilities grant in each year since 1997; and how many received an award;
	(4)  how much has been allocated to (a) Kent county council and (b) Swale borough council for the disabled facilities grant in each year since 1997;
	(5)  what estimate has been made of the number of disabled people waiting for disabled facilities grant to be paid in Swale.

Keith Hill: The following table shows Swale borough council's expenditure on disabled facilities grant (DFG) as a proportion of their total Housing Investment Programme (HIP) allocation. Column one shows the annual allocation to Swale from the Government's ring-fenced grant to support local authorities' DFG programmes. This grant covers 60 per cent. of each authority's total DFG expenditure. Swale's total DFG expenditure is shown in column two. Column four gives this amount as a proportion of the authority's total HIP allocation shown in column three.
	
		£000
		
			  (1) (2) (3) (4) 
			  Government allocation of ring fenced grant for DFG Total DFG expenditure Total housing capital allocation Percentage of total housing allocation spent on DFG 
		
		
			 1997–98 408 617 1,546 40.0 
			 1998–99 203 689 1,552 44.4 
			 1999–2000 223 633 1,499 42.2 
			 2000–01 242 667 1,706 39.1 
			 2001–02 240 644 1,510 42.6 
			 2002–03 276 616 1,514 40.7 
			 2003–04 420 817 1,407 58.1 
			 2004–05 420 n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not collect information on how many disabled people in particular areas within local authorities have applied for DFG, or the number of people waiting for DFG, and could provide it only at disproportionate costs. County councils are not responsible for administering DFG and therefore receive no specific funding for it.

Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average domestic rates bill per household in England was in each year from 1975 to its abolition.

Nick Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1002W.

Fire Cover

Frank Dobson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department was consulted on the proposed reduction in fire cover for the King's Cross/St. Pancras transport interchange.

Nick Raynsford: Yes. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was one of the consultees to all the draft Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMP), including the London Fire Safety Plan. The draft plan for the financial year 2005–06 was issued on 28 October with a three-month consultation which commenced on 8 November. The IRMP is about deploying resources to respond to today's risks and needs rather than replicating historic patterns of deployment. The authority has identified that the current location of appliances does not relate to today's risks. The proposals contained in the draft London Fire Safety Plan are subject to extensive consultation.

Fire Cover

Frank Dobson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department was consulted on the possible impact on the response to a terrorist incident in central London of the proposed reductions in fire cover in central London.

Nick Raynsford: Yes. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was one of the consultees to all the draft Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMP), including the London Safety Plan. The IRMP is about making changes to respond to today's changing needs—which include the risk of terrorist attack. The authority has been closely involved in London's planning (under the leadership of London Resilience Forum) for the protection of Londoners from the consequences of a terrorist attack, working closely with government, and other partners to improve its ability to respond to and deal with such incidents.

Firefighters

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have for revisions to the injury benefits arrangements for firefighters.

Phil Hope: As required by Inland Revenue rules, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently preparing proposals for consultation on an injury benefits scheme for firefighters which would replace that currently available in the Firefighters' Pension Scheme. Any scheme would include the death and serious injury award provided for in the conditions of service.

Firefighters

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the proposed new minimum pension age for firefighters is.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has recently completed consultations on proposals for new pension arrangements for firefighters which include a minimum pension age of 55 for members of the existing pension scheme who retire from April 2013, and for all members of a new pension scheme which we intend to introduce in April 2006. We are considering the responses we have received.

Gypsies/Travellers

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller families are seeking permanent settlements in Kent.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Gypsies/Travellers

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller families have made illegal encampments in Kent since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Information is not held centrally on the number of families on unauthorised encampments, however the bi-annual count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans does provide information on the number of caravans on such sites. In January 1997 there were 94caravans on unauthorised encampments in Kent. In July 2004 there were 64 caravans on unauthorised encampments in the county.

Gypsies/Travellers

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many court cases there have been in Kent involving illegal encampments by (a) Gypsy families and (b) Travellers since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provide only at disproportionate cost.

Gypsies/Travellers

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller camps have been opened in (i) Kent and (ii) Medway since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Since 1997 one local authority site has been established in Kent, providing accommodation for 46 caravans.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold data centrally on the number of private Gypsy and Traveller sites established over time, however the bi-annual count does provide information on the number of caravans on such sites.
	The number of caravans on authorised private sites in Kent has risen by 30 from 235 caravans in January 1997 to 265 caravans in July 2004.
	The number of caravans on unauthorised developments of land without planning permission in Kent has increased from 54 in January 1997 to 120 in July 2004.
	In the Medway council area, no new sites have been opened since 1997, either public or private.

Gypsies/Travellers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated public expenditure by central Government on (a) authorised Traveller sites and (b) illegal Traveller encampments has been in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created in May 2002. Since then it has provided the following funding to local authorities to enable them to renew and refurbish the existing network of local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites through its Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant.
	
		
			  Grant paid (£) 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,843,847 
			 2003–04 6,084,059 
			 2004–05 (6)7,739,726 
		
	
	(6)Allocation
	£8 million is available for the 2005–06 financial year.
	The costs associated with unauthorised camping are borne by individual local authorities or private landowners, rather than by central Government.

High Hedges

Peter Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received about high hedges; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received requests from members of the public and local authorities about when Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, which gives local authorities the powers to deal with complaints about high hedges, will be fully operational. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to issue guidance for local authorities at the same time as the Regulations to bring the legislation into force are laid before Parliament. We expect the complaints system to be fully operational early this year.

High Hedges

John Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to issue guidance to local authorities in respect of provisions to address problems with high hedges contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to issue guidance for local authorities at the same time as the Regulations to bring Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 into force are laid before Parliament. We expect the complaints system to be fully operational early this year.

High Hedges

Annette Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of complaints relating to high hedges that will be submitted to local authorities once the new system is fully operational; what proportion of local authorities will be ready to process complaints filed relating to high hedges in the first quarter of 2005; and what his estimate is of the average length of time to be taken to process a complaint.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that local authorities may expect to deal with 10,000 complaints relating to high hedges in the first three years after the legislation comes into force. All local authorities in England should be ready to process complaints once the legislation becomes fully operational. There is no set deadline for the local authority to resolve complaints.

Homeless Children

Steve Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many children were living in temporary accommodation in (a) the South West region and (b) South Gloucestershire in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities report their activities under homelessness legislation quarterly, and this includes the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter. Information on the number of these households that contain dependent children and/or an expectant mother has been distinguished since March 2002 and the number of children in these households has been collected since June 2004.
	The following table presents available information for all quarters since March 2002.
	
		Households(7)which contain dependent children and/or an expectant mother, in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation, as at the end of the quarter
		
			  2002 2003 
			  March June September December March June 
		
		
			 South West Region(8)   
			 Households 3,110 3,710 4,030 2,740 3,350 4,250 
			 Number of children n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			
			 South Gloucestershire DC   
			 Households 214 248 245 281 281 295 
			 Number of children n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  2003 2004 
			  September December March June September 
		
		
			 South West Region(8)  
			 Households 4,100 3,480 3,920 3,950 4,350 
			 Number of children n/a n/a n/a 6,180 7,050 
			   
			 South Gloucestershire DC  
			 Households 301 287 278 288 302 
			 Number of children n/a n/a n/a 476 475 
		
	
	(7)Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting re-allocation of a settled home following Acceptance. Excludes those households designated as homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
	(8)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and may include estimates for any authority in the South West that failed to provide report data. The series is due to be revised in March 2005.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly)

Homes (Hartlepool)

Iain Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to designate specific sites for development within Hartlepool under the policies set out in Sustainable Communities: Homes for All.

Keith Hill: No. This is a matter for Hartlepool borough council to consider through its local development plan process working within national planning guidance and the regional spatial strategy. The Council's review of the Hartlepool Local Plan has recently considered the issue of housing need in the borough and has identified a range of housing sites. Housing market renewal in Hartlepool has also been recognised as a priority by the North East Housing Board. Tees Valley (including Hartlepool) is likely to be one of the beneficiaries of funding recently announced for Housing Market Renewal to be available from April 2006 and distributed through Regional Housing Boards.

Housing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans there are for providing new housing with a selling price of £60,000 in the Chorley constituency.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently announced that we are working on a new First Time Buyers Initiative—of which the Design for Manufacture" competition is an adjunct—designed to provide those who are unable to purchase a home outright with a stepping stone" to independent home ownership. English Partnerships will be leading on the delivery of 15,000 homes to 2010. It is not possible, at the present time, to identify precisely where homes constructed under these schemes will be available. However, in addition to sites in English Partnership's portfolio we will be encouraging other landowners, such as local authorities, to use the scheme's model as a way of addressing affordability issues in their areas.

Housing Associations

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list local housing associations that have been given consent to impose a right of first refusal on Right to Buy or voluntary sales under section 197 of the Housing Act 2004.

Keith Hill: Consent does not have to be given to housing associations before they can impose a right of first refusal covenant in respect of Right to Buy or voluntary sales under the Housing Act 2004.
	Under section 188 of the Housing Act 2004, all social landlords (local authorities or housing associations) that sell properties under the Right to Buy scheme are required to include a right of first refusal" covenant in the conveyance or grant of lease. This covenant requires the owner of an ex-Right to Buy home who wishes to resell it within 10 years of the Right to Buy sale to offer it to the former landlord or to another social landlord, at market value. If the offer is not accepted, the owner is free to sell on the open market. Regulations setting out the procedures to be followed will be laid before Parliament shortly. These regulations will reflect the responses to the Government's consultation paper published in March 2004, and sent to landlords, representative bodies, and tenants' organisations.
	Properties sold by housing associations:
	under the preserved Right to Buy (available to tenants of housing associations who transferred with their homes from local authority landlords under stock transfer arrangements); and
	under the Right to Acquire (available to assured tenants of housing associations in respect of properties built or acquired by their landlords with public funds since 1 April 1997) on voluntary terms at a discount
	are also subject to this right of first refusal", under section 171C of the Housing Act 1985 (in relation to the preserved Right to Buy), section 17 of the Housing Act 1996 (in relation to the Right to Acquire), and section 200 of the Housing Act 2004 (in relation to voluntary disposals, unless waived with the specific consent of the Housing Corporation).
	Consent is still required for the imposition of a right of first refusal covenant in areas which have been designated as rural by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister under section 157 of the Housing Act 1985, but this is not a change brought about by the Housing Act 2004.

Housing Associations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government's policy on the extension of the right-to-buy to housing associations has changed.

Keith Hill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 1 February 2005, Official Report, columns 814–15W.

Letter Boxes

Joan Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what planning regulation changes his Department is planning to introduce to address safety concerns over low-level letter boxes, in line with standard EN 13724.

Phil Hope: EN 13724 is a voluntary standard setting out specifications covering the height, positioning and design of letter boxes for ergonomic and safety reasons. The Government have no plans to amend the Building Regulations to implement this standard.

Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to reduce the level of inspection of local government in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07 and (c) 2007–08.

Nick Raynsford: The Government are working to ensure that inspection focuses more clearly on improvement for service users and, through a risk based and proportionate approach, the overall burden of inspection will be significantly reduced.
	Inspection programmes have not been worked up in detail for the years in question, but in 2004–05 there was a 30 per cent. reduction in the number of inspections compared to 2002–03.
	The Audit Commission, which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sponsors, anticipates that by 2006–07, the volume of inspections needed for Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), including the corporate assessments planned for that year, should fall by 68 per cent. from the 2002–03 level.

Ministerial Tour

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what complaints he has received concerning his tour of the North East on 1 November 2004; what action has been taken concerning these complaints; and if he will place a copy of the correspondence in the Library.

Nick Raynsford: No complaints have been received by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister concerning the tour of the North East on 1 November 2004.

Regional Referendums

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) polling, (b) focus group research and (c) other measures of public opinion were undertaken by his Department since June 2003 in relation to (i) the regional referendum in the North East and (ii)preparation for the referendums in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber; and if he will place a copy of the reports in the Library.

Nick Raynsford: The results of the Soundings Exercise were published in June 2003. This considered the level of interest in holding referendums on establishing elected regional assemblies in the English regions. Copies are already available in the Library of the House and on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website.
	No polls, focus groups or other measures of public opinion on this subject have been undertaken since then by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Some research was undertaken to measure the effect of the Your Say Information Campaign in increasing awareness of the referendums but this was not a measure of public opinion.

Satellite Dishes

Bill Olner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish his Department's response to the consultation paper, Satellite dishes and other antennas: consultation on possible changes to planning regulations for satellite dishes and other antennas.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has completed its analysis of the response to the consultation paper: Satellite dishes and other antennas" and expects to make an announcement very shortly.

Second Homes (National Parks)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of how many and what percentage of houses in each National Park in England are second homes; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Exclusion Unit

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) staff and (b) running costs of the Social Exclusion Unit was in the last year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
	(a) Staff costs for the Social Exclusion Unit for the financial year to 31 March 2004 were £2,342,000.
	(b) The running cost of the Social Exclusion Unit for the same period was £1,212,000.
	The Social Exclusion Unit does not have a separate programme" budget and therefore the running cost figure includes the production costs of reports published during this period.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless people there were in each local authority which has effected a large scale voluntary transfer in each of the two years (a) before and (b) after the transfer was effected.

Yvette Cooper: Information collected about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is in respect of households, rather than persons. The number of households accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged under homelessness legislation for those authorities that have effected a large scale voluntary transfer since the first quarter of 2003 is tabled as follows. This also shows the number of persons reported as sleeping rough.
	
		
			  Rushcliffe Bradford 
			  LSVT date 20/01/2003 LSVT date 24/02/2003 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 33 119 — 229 55 — 
			 April to June 26 122 0 392 56 0 
			 July to September 46 119 — 375 55 — 
			 October to December 41 145 — 312 45 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 39 167 — 284 40 — 
			 April to June 36 100 0 294 48 0 
			 July to September 42 84 — 277 44 — 
			 October to December 45 75 — 229 53 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 42 92 — 238 47 — 
			 April to June 51 102 0 233 57 0 
			 July to September 36 94 — 269 65 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Amber Valley Crewe and Nantwich 
			  LSVT date 24/02/2003 LSVT date 10/03/2003 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 73 28 — 33 11 — 
			 April to June 82 31 0 35 13 0 
			 July to September 67 32 — 59 13 — 
			 October to December 86 30 — 34 7 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 100 24 — 61 7 — 
			 April to June 90 33 0 98 10 0 
			 July to September 95 31 — 67 5 — 
			 October to December 76 28 — 43 7 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 92 27 — 49 4 — 
			 April to June 80 33 0 75 11 0 
			 July to September 60 37 — 62 11 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Walsall Craven 
			  LSVT date 27/03/2003 LSVT date 31/03/2003 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 351 48 — 5 7 — 
			 April to June 23 62 0 8 7 0 
			 July to September 90 41 — (12)— (12)— — 
			 October to December 81 39 — 2 2 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 96 29 — 3 3 — 
			 April to June 76 40 0 5 5 0 
			 July to September 104 50 — 7 6 — 
			 October to December 102 59 — 16 12 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 147 62 — 14 11 — 
			 April to June (12)— (12)— 0 8 14 0 
			 July to September 128 58 — 11 12 — 
		
	
	
		
			  North Hertfordshire Forest of Dean 
			  LSVT date 31/03/2003 LSVT date 31/03/2003 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 45 108 — 39 38 — 
			 April to June 46 110 0 43 40 0 
			 July to September 56 113 — 52 50 — 
			 October to December 64 123 — 53 57 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 36 126 — 48 59 — 
			 April to June 50 118 0 30 30 0 
			 July to September 43 115 — 37 33 — 
			 October to December 27 105 — 29 33 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 45 118 — 37 31 — 
			 April to June 37 128 0 19 28 0 
			 July to September 30 121 — 31 34 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Scarborough Maidstone 
			  LSVT date 15/12/2003 LSVT date 01/02/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 47 40 — 43 393 — 
			 April to June 61 35 0 32 430 0 
			 July to September 63 31 — 43 433 — 
			 October to December 50 33 — 31 440 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 60 46 — 74 491 — 
			 April to June 60 35 0 72 72 0 
			 July to September 91 80 — 69 69 — 
			 October to December 54 58 — 51 53 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 99 74 — 36 39 — 
			 April to June 121 58 0 57 57 0 
			 July to September 61 85 — 84 86 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Teignbridge Cherwell 
			  LSVT date 04/02/2004 LSVT date 29/03/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 70 418 — 50 204 — 
			 April to June 76 401 0 70 219 0 
			 July to September 57 392 — 56 213 — 
			 October to December 60 396 — 56 201 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 53 316 — 84 223 — 
			 April to June 49 297 0 71 252 0 
			 July to September 62 163 — 79 285 — 
			 October to December 57 253 — (12)— (12)— — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 51 89 — 60 262 — 
			 April to June 59 88 0 70 310 0 
			 July to September 54 103 — 100 329 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Bromsgrove Hartlepool 
			  LSVT date 29/03/2004 LSVT date 29/03/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 47 56 — 67 9 — 
			 April to June 52 40 0 75 11 0 
			 July to September 59 44 — 56 0 — 
			 October to December 78 55 — 61 6 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 61 77 — 76 4 — 
			 April to June 55 77 0 78 3 0 
			 July to September 69 93 — 85 2 — 
			 October to December 65 69  62 2  
			 2004   
			 January to March 49 80 — 99 6 — 
			 April to June 52 76 0 90 3 0 
			 July to September 35 73 — 90 4 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Worcester South Norfolk 
			  LSVT date29/03/2004 LSVT date 17/05/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 66 68 — 37 31 — 
			 April to June 58 67 6 38 42 0 
			 July to September 52 115 — 43 51 — 
			 October to December 36 58 — 39 59 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 55 71 — 37 65 — 
			 April to June 56 73 0 27 76 0 
			 July to September 59 79 — 28 74 — 
			 October to December 56 85 — 18 59 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 51 103 — 20 49 — 
			 April to June 42 118 0 16 69 0 
			 July to September 38 110 — 34 72 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Copeland Purbeck 
			  LSVT date 07/06/2004 LSVT date 26/06/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 21 1 — 21 43 — 
			 April to June 16 1 0 19 13 0 
			 July to September 25 2 — 13 47 — 
			 October to December 7 2 — 16 29 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 27 3 — 24 32 — 
			 April to June 40 3 0 16 23 0 
			 July to September 46 6 — 24 34 — 
			 October to December 21 3 — 25 38 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 35 6 — 29 16 — 
			 April to June 23 6 0 15 11 0 
			 July to September 36 10 — 16 26 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Peterborough Forest Heath 
			  LSVT date 04/10/2004 LSVT date 11/10/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002   
			 January to March 49 148 — 8 12 — 
			 April to June 72 177 3 7 15 0 
			 July to September 86 227 — 14 21 — 
			 October to December 103 242 — 11 19 — 
			 2003   
			 January to March 84 302 — 13 16 — 
			 April to June 112 352 9 9 17 0 
			 July to September 126 335 — 16 16 — 
			 October to December 105 107 — 16 13 — 
			 2004   
			 January to March 126 114 — 16 19 — 
			 April to June 143 79 4 8 13 0 
			 July to September 121 62 — 16 15 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Middlesbrough 
			  LSVT date 15/11/2004 
			  Accepted during quarter(9) In temporary accommodation at end of quarter(10) Rough sleepers(11) 
		
		
			 2002
			 January to March 68 29 — 
			 April to June 80 35 0 
			 July to September 104 32 — 
			 October to December 104 28 — 
			 2003
			 January to March 82 28 — 
			 April to June 100 32 0 
			 July to September 119 22 — 
			 October to December 130 29 — 
			 2004
			 January to March 113 38 — 
			 April to June 124 39 0 
			 July to September 116 33 — 
		
	
	(9)Applicant households found to be eligible, unintentionally homeless and in a priority need group under homelessness legislation.
	(10)Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting re-allocation of a settled home following acceptance. Excludes those households designated as homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
	(11)Mid-year estimate or recent street count.
	(12)Data not reported by local authority. ODPM calculates estimates for any missing data fields in the compilation of national and regional totals.
	Source:
	ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly) and Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (annual)
	After being accepted as homeless, a household will be placed in some form of accommodation. They may be placed in temporary accommodation, until a settled solution becomes available, or they may be given a settled solution straight away depending on the accommodation available to the local authority. As an alternative to temporary accommodation an authority may arrange for a household to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.
	Some households in temporary accommodation were being accommodated pending completion of inquiries into their application, or awaiting the outcome of an LA review/county court appeal against the authority's decision, or had been found intentionally homeless and subsequently were being accommodated for a reasonable period as permitted under legislation.
	Information is also collected on the number of people who sleep rough—that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. This is based on a combination of the most recent street counts and estimates made by local authorities.
	Quarterly Statistical Releases on statutory homelessness published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister include information on both Acceptances and households in temporary accommodation at local authority level in an associated Supplementary Table. The latest Release of, 13 December, and previous editions are available both in the Library of the House and via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. Statistics on Rough Sleepers are also published via the website.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what basis additional land can be (a) given and (b) sold to registered social landlords after large scale voluntary transfers have been agreed.

Keith Hill: All disposals of housing land by local authorities to any party, including registered social landlords, require the consent of the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. Consent is required under section 32 of the Housing Act 1985 if the disposal is at market value or under section 25 of the Local Government Act 1988 if the disposal is below market value and therefore includes an element of financial assistance or gratuitous benefit. There are General Consents under both provisions which allow local authorities to dispose of housing land in certain circumstances without seeking the specific consent of the Secretary of State.

Sustainable Communities

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated expenditure on the National Centre for Sustainable Communities Skills is in the next financial year.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's budget in 2005–06 for the National Centre is £3.5 million.

Urban Task Force Report

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which recommendations from Lord Rogers's Urban Task Force report the Government have not yet implemented.

Keith Hill: The Government endorsed the principles behind all of the 105 recommendations in Lord Roger's report, the majority of which were accepted in full or in part and incorporated in the Urban White Paper Our Towns and Cities: the future—Delivering an Urban Renaissance" published in November 2000. Our response to each recommendation is set out in an Annex to the White Paper. Significant progress has been made in implementing all of the measures in the White Paper. An Implementation Plan reporting on progress is available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. These achievements are being built on by the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan, launched in February 2003, which sets out a clear action plan for the long-term development of towns, cities and communities.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of his Department's budget has been spent on public promotional and advertising campaigns on financial support available to carers in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security, and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment including the Employment Service.
	The Department provides information on financial support available for carers through benefits information leaflets, websites and face to face and telephone contact with customers, their families, friends and carers, advisers and others. As these products and services cover many other areas it is not possible specifically to identify the cost of providing information for carers.

Christmas Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many hours of staff time were taken up in preparation of Christmas cards in 2004;
	(2)  how many departmental staff have responsibility for preparing Christmas cards;
	(3)  what percentage of official departmental Christmas cards included a contribution to charity in their cost; and which charities benefited from such a contribution;
	(4)  what the cost of postage was for official departmental Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004;
	(5)  what the cost was of purchasing official departmental Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004;
	(6)  how many official Christmas cards were sent out by his Department in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Maria Eagle: The Department does not co-ordinate the purchase and distribution of Christmas cards centrally. However, Christmas cards for Ministers and the Permanent Secretary are co-ordinated within the Department's Private Office and the following table details the number of cards purchased, together with the cost of these, for both 2003 and 2004.
	
		
			  Ministers Permanent Secretary 
		
		
			 2003   
			 Quantity 1,050 130 
			 Cost (£) 1,502 229 
			 2004   
			 Quantity 1100 130 
			 Cost (£) 1,649 210 
		
	
	All of the official Christmas cards sent out by Ministers and the Permanent Secretary included a contribution to charity. This contribution will be split equally, by the company from which they were purchased, between 70 different charities. Two staff were responsible for the ordering of these cards; however, the amount of time taken up on preparation is not available—the work is carried out alongside normal duties.
	It is our policy to send mail by second class post wherever possible. The cost of postage for these cards is not recorded separately. All expenditure incurred in the purchase of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.
	Christmas cards are also sent out by the Department's Executive Agencies, and I have asked the respective chief executives of these agencies to write to the right hon. Member separately. A copy of the letters will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Policies (Edinburgh, North and Leith)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Edinburgh, North and Leith constituency, the effects on Edinburgh, North and Leith of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goodsand services and transport. Disabled people in Edinburgh, North and Leith will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.
	The figures can be broken down to national level which shows that 23 per cent. of adults and 6 per cent. of children in Scotland are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Edinburgh, North and Leith who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Edinburgh, North and Leith
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 4,900 
			 2002 4,800 
			 2003 5,300 
			 2004 5,500 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Edinburgh, North and Leith, the proportion in employment has risen to 76.6 per cent.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 1,700 in Edinburgh, North and Leith alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 2002–03) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18-years-old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 1,400 families in Edinburgh, North and Leith.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of October 2004, around 3,265 pensioners in Edinburgh, North and Leith are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £42.90 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70+ payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80+ annual payment is available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively. Some 11,000 pensioners in Edinburgh, North have benefited from this increase.

Departmental Policies (Hull, North)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Hull, North constituency, the effects on Hull, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001 the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Hull, North will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 25 per cent. of adults and 4 per cent. of children in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Hull, North who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the following table.
	
		Hull, North parliamentary constituency
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 6.4 
			 2002 6.8 
			 2003 7.2 
			 2004 7.5 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Hull, North, the proportion in employment has risen to 63.3 per cent.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 4,300 in Hull, North alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures for 2002–03 show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 3,400 families in Hull, North.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of October 2004, around 4,760 pensioners in Hull, North are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £39.61 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally for this year eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70 plus payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80 plus annual payment are available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent., respectively. Some 12.6 thousand pensioners in Hull, North have benefited from this increase.

Employment Advisers (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers in the Scottish Executive, (b) the British Medical Association in Scotland and (c) the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland about the placement of employment adviser support in GPs' surgeries in Scotland.

Jane Kennedy: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report, we will pilot the placement of employment advisers in GPs' surgeries in an area. We are currently considering potential alternative models and will actively seek to involve the relevant devolved Administrations and professional bodies in due course.
	GPs play an important role in the early stages of sickness absence in certifying ill-health, in helping patients manage their health condition, giving fitness for work advice and encouraging an early return to work where possible.

New Deal (Selby)

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Selby parliamentary constituency have found work through the (a) New Deal for Young People, (b) New Deal for Disabled People, (c) New Deal for 25 plus and (d) New Deal for 50 plus.

Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
	
		New Deal in Selby
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 New Deal for Young People 560 
			 New Deal 25 plus 260 
			 New Deal 50 plus 140 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.New Deal for Young People information is from January 1998 to September 2004.
	2.New Deal 25 plus information is from July 1998 to September 2004.
	3.New Deal 50 plus information relates to the number of New Deal 50 plus employment credit starts up to the end of March 2003. New Deal 50 plus information is not available at constituency level after March 2003.
	4.New Deal for Disabled People data are not available at constituency level.
	5.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate

Outsourced Contracts (TUPE)

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he (a) gives and (b) has givento contractors regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations in respect of outsourced contracts
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Jane Kennedy: We do not give specific advice to our contractors regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) as they should seek their own legal advice.
	We have, on some occasions, indicated whether webelieve TUPE is or is not likely to apply. Where we have considered TUPE likely to apply and services were being provided by our own staff, we have supplied information regarding the staff within the undertaking and have indicated to potential contractors that we shall comply with Cabinet Office guidance (Statement of Practice on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector).

Pension Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work andPensions if he will estimate the number of people who would be entitled to pension credit if (a) every pensioner individual and (b) pensioner couple was paid the full basic state pension regardless of their contribution record.

Malcolm Wicks: It is estimated that if all people past State Pension age were paid the full basic state pension regardless of their contribution record in 2005–06 that 1.6 million individual pensioners would no longer have entitlement to pension credit. This would reduce the projected level of entitlement to pension credit from 4.8to 3.2 million people.
	Notes
	1.The figures are for Great Britain, excluding cases in residential care homes, and rounded to the nearest hundred thousand for 2005–06. 2.The change in entitlement was calculated using the Department for Work and Pensions' Policy Simulation Model for 2005–06, and based on the Family Resources Survey 2002–03. 3.The projections of entitlement are indicative only until the publication of the National Statistics estimates of Income-Related benefits.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 54 years and over were contracted out with an appropriate personal pension or stakeholder pension into which age-related rebates were paid in the 2002–03 tax year.

Malcolm Wicks: At the end of the 2002–03 tax year there were 133,000 people aged 54 and over who qualified for an age-related rebate to be paid into their appropriate personal pensions, (including stakeholder pensions). These rebates would have been paid in the following tax year.
	Source
	Second Tier Pension Provision" published by the Department for Work and Pensions using the Lifetime Labour Market Database which uses a 1 per cent. sample of national insurance records.

Training (Rural Areas)

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what initiatives his Department has introduced since 2001 to promote training in rural areas.

Jane Kennedy: The Department for Work and Pensions has not introduced any initiatives since 2001 to promote training solely in rural areas. In line with Government policy, DWP ensures that customers in rural areas are not disadvantaged through the design or delivery of programmes and initiatives. The use of mobile units, outreach offices and payment of travel costs over the first £4 are examples of initiatives that help ensure people in rural communities have equality of access to information, training and services.

Unallocated Expenditure

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of his Department's unallocated expenditure has been (a) spent and (b) carried over to the following year in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS), the Employment Service (ES) and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) were added in 2002–03. The information requested has been provided from 2001 when the Department came into existence.
	All of the Department's funding is allocated over the Spending Review period with the exception of a relatively small departmental unallocated provision (DUP). The Department follows Treasury Public Spending Guidance in maintaining this contingency fund from which unforeseen demands on resources can be met. The amounts set aside for the DUP at the beginning of each year, the amounts expended during the year and the amounts carried forward to the following year are shown in the following table.
	
		£ millions
		
			  Unallocated provision at start of year Expended during year Provision carried forward at the end of year 
		
		
			 2001–02 56 9 47 
			 2002–03 94 0 94 
			 2003–04 105 103 2

Welsh Language Scheme

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented.

Maria Eagle: The Welsh language scheme for the Department for Work and Pensions was approved by the Welsh Language Board on 13 July 2004 and has been fully operational since that date.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects a decision to be made on whether to lift the European Union's arms embargo on China.

Denis MacShane: EU leaders discussed this issue at the European Council in December 2004. Luxembourg, as incoming EU Presidency, was invited to
	finalise the well-advanced work in order to allow for a decision."
	No date has yet been set for a decision. But as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the Committee on Strategic Export Controls on 12 January, it is more likely than not that this will be decided under this Presidency.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

Calum MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to secure the arrest of indicted war criminals (a) Ante Gotovina, (b) Ratko Mladic and (c) Radovan Karadzic.

Denis MacShane: The UK remains fully committed to bringing Ante Gotovina, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic to trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. Their continued presence at large is an obstacle to justice and reconciliation, and to the region's political and economic development.
	The UK Government continue to pursue diplomatic, political and operational efforts to bring about the detention and transfer to The Hague of all fugitive indictees. The UK urges all the countries in the region to fulfil their international obligations, especially full co-operation with the ICTY. Failure to do so will continue to delay their progress towards closer integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. I raised the Gotovina case with President Mesic of Croatia on 27 January and the two serb indictees was discussed with Vuk Draskovic, the Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro on 1 February.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

Calum MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the French Government about Ante Gotovina.

Denis MacShane: I raised the issue of Ante Gotovina with senior French officials at the UK-France summit on 18–19 November 2004.
	The UK continues to work closely with all EU and international partners, e.g. the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), EUFOR, through diplomatic, political and operational efforts to bring about the detention and transfer of all fugitive indictees, including Ante Gotovina, for trial at the ICTY in The Hague. Their continued presence at large is an obstacle to justice and reconciliation, and to the region's political and economic development.

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

Calum MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU member states on the failure by Croatia to hand over indicted war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.

Denis MacShane: The Heads of State and Government of all 25 EU member states agreed at the December European Council that Croatia should start accession negotiations on 17 March, provided there is full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The UK and EU partners have also made clear that, for Croatia, full co-operation with ICTY requires all necessary steps to be taken to transfer the fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina to The Hague.

Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of the practice of the Iranian Government not to keep documentary records of complaints of ill-treatment by Baha'is to Iranian police and security services; what conclusions he has drawn; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We have received reports about this practice from Baha'i representatives. We judge the reports to be credible, but do not have sufficient information to assess the extent of the practice.
	We have serious concerns about the situation of the Baha'i community in Iran and the approach of Iran's law enforcement forces towards religious minorities, which we have raised with the Iranian authorities on many occasions.

Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threats to withdraw the protection of the law from the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We have serious concerns about intimidation of the Baha'i community in Iran, apparently at official behest. We have discussed discrimination against the Baha'is with the Iranian authorities on many occasions, including through the EU/Iran human rights dialogue.

Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the UN, with particular reference to the Commission on Human Rights, concerning the position of the Baha'i community in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We continue to make clear at the United Nations our serious concern about the situation of the Baha'i community in Iran. In December 2004, the UK and other EU countries co-sponsored a resolution at the UN General Assembly on human rights in Iran, which expressed serious concern at the increased discrimination against the Baha'is. There was no country resolution on Iran at the Commission on Human Rights in 2004; the UK strongly supported a resolution on the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance.

Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iran regarding its demand that Baha'is cease communal activities; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We have serious concerns about the situation of the Baha'i community in Iran, which we have raised with the Iranian authorities on many occasions, most recently on 24 November 2004. In December 2004, the UK and other EU countries co-sponsored a resolution on human rights in Iran at the United Nations General Assembly which expressed serious concern at, among other subjects,
	the increased discrimination against the Baha'is, including ... the denial of free worship or of publicly carrying out communal affairs ... and the suspension of social, educational and community-related activities".

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the size of the black market in Iraq in respect of the supply of petrol and oil for domestic use; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The black market in the supply of petrol and oil for domestic use in Iraq continues to be a major challenge for the Iraqi authorities. The Coalition Provisional Authority quickly took steps to stop smuggling and the black market in oil products, but much more needs to be done to identify and plug leaks in the system that have arisen as a result of a long history of smuggling under the former regime and the fact that Iraq has the cheapest petrol and petroleum products in the region. We expect the Iraqi authorities under the newly elected Government to remain committed to combating smuggling and reducing subsidies for oil products, which will go a long way to reducing the scale of the problem.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the political impact of possible under-representation of Sunnis in a future Iraqi legislature and the subsequent implications of this for the security situation in Iraq.

Denis MacShane: Although levels of participation in the elections were impressive it is clear that terrorist violence and intimidation deterred some Iraqis from voting, particularly in Sunni areas. The Government attach great importance to an inclusive political process as the best means of isolating those seeking to undermine progress. We welcome the emphasis Iraq's political and religious leaders have put on a constitutional process which reflects the full diversity of Iraqi society and Prime Minister Allawi's call on 31 January for national dialogue that guarantees all Iraqis a voice in the next Government.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the potential for instability in Kirkuk between Kurds and Arabs.

Denis MacShane: We are fully aware of concerns among the different communities in Kirkuk about the future of the city. Resolving these will be an important issue for Iraqis to decide in the years ahead. We will continue to encourage all communities in Kirkuk to avoid any premature action which could destabilise the situation and to pursue a peaceful, negotiated solution to outstanding disputes.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the desire among Kurds for (a) an independent Kurdistan and (b) Kurdish autonomy within a federal Iraq.

Denis MacShane: Federalism issues, including the level of autonomy of the Kurdish regions, will be a matter for Iraqis to address in the process of drafting a new constitution once the Transitional National Assembly and Government are in place.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the likely Kurdish participation in the forthcoming Iraqi elections.

Denis MacShane: Although official figures for participation in the elections in Iraq are not yet available, early reports and polling evidence suggest a very high Kurdish turnout.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Coalition Provisional Authority complied with United Nations resolution 1483, concerning control of Iraq's oil revenues; what assessment he has made of whether those funds were independently monitored and fully accounted for; whether the auditor appointed in April 2004 has reported; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483 of 22 May 2003 called for Iraq's oil revenues to be used in a transparent manner for purposes benefiting the Iraqi people, and export sales of petroleum and petroleum products to be made consistent with international market best practice. An International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) was also established to ensure the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) was used in a transparent manner for the purposes set out in UNSCR 1483.
	On 14 December 2004 the IAMB released its report covering Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) management of the DFI from 22 May 2003 to the end of occupation on 28 June 2004. This was based on two audit reports to the IAMB prepared by the external auditor (KPMG). Reports are available on the lAMB's website at www.iamb.info.
	Both audit reports conclude that, with the exception of smuggling, the DFI Statement of Cash Receipts and Payment presents fairly, in all material respects, the receipts and payments of the DFI". The IAMB report recognises that
	all known oil proceeds, reported frozen assets, and transfers from the Oil-for-Food Programme have been properly and transparently accounted for in the DPI".

Iraq

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations for (a) the winding up of the UN Compensation Commission as soon as the new Iraqi Government is formed and (b) the return of all unspent monies to the new Iraqi Government.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 2 February 2005
	The UK recognises the importance of the compensation issue to Iraq but also to those individuals, States, and corporations with outstanding claims. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, Iraqi payments to the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) can be changed only by a decision of a sovereign Iraqi Government and of the UNCC Governing Council.

Middle East (London Conference)

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) countries and (b) organisations will be represented at the forthcoming London conference on the Middle East peace process in March; at what level they will be represented; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We are inviting members of the Quartet (UN, EU, US and Russia), the G8 and those who play a significant role in the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee and the International Task Force for Palestinian Reform to the London Meeting on 1 March. We envisage they will be represented at Foreign Minister level.
	The London Meeting aims to support the new Palestinian leadership in strengthening Palestinian institutions and to make the most of this window of opportunity. More effective institutions are required by the Roadmap and are essential for a future Palestinian state. The London Meeting will provide an opportunity for the new Palestinian leadership to showcase their successes so far on state-building issues and their future plans to build a government with local and international credibility. The meeting is designed to build upon and complement existing work being done by the World Bank, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the Quartet, the Task Force on Palestinian Reform and others. The meeting will cover issues relating to economic reform, good governance and security.

Pakistan

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Unilateral Statement by the European Community on competence division was included in the Co-operation Agreement between the Community and Pakistan set out on page 36 of OJ L 378 volume 47 of 23 December 2004.

Denis MacShane: The Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the Community and Pakistan is based on Articles 133, 181, in conjunction with the first sentence of Article 300(2) and the first subparagraph of Article 300(3) of the treaty establishing the European Community. The Final Act of the Agreement contains a Joint Declaration by the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan whereby the Islamic Republic of Pakistan undertakes to conclude readmission agreements with the member states of the European Union which so request. Such agreements are provided for in the last paragraph of Article 63 of the treaty but they fall within the competence of member states, ie outside the scope of the treaty.
	The Unilateral Statement on the division of competences, contained in the Final Act, makes clear that the inclusion of the Joint Declaration on readmission does not prejudice the division of competences between the European Community and the member states on the issue of readmission.

Palestine

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the deployment of Palestinian police in Southern Gaza on 26 January; what assessment his Department has made of the impact that this deployment will have on the peace process; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions (a) he, (b) officials in his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with members and representatives of (i) the Palestinian authority and (ii) the Government of Israel on the deployment of Palestinian police in Southern Gaza; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what (a) financial assistance, (b) logistical assistance and (c) assistance in kind (i) his Department, (ii) the UK Government and (iii) the EU have (A) offered and (B) delivered to the Palestinian Authority for the deployment of Palestinian police (1) in Southern Gaza, (2) Gaza as a whole and (3) the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We welcome the deployment of Palestinian police which began in Northern Gaza on 21 January, and Southern Gaza on 26 January, as the latest in a series of positive steps by the new Palestinian leadership. We also welcome the Israeli reaction to the measures taken by the Palestinian Authority, which has been positive and helpful. We hope that both parties can continue to move forward and make progress on getting back to the Roadmap.
	We have been in regular discussion with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership on security matters and will continue this contact. The UK Government have also been working for some time with the Palestinian Authority to improve security apparatus in Gaza and West Bank, through technical assistance and provision of equipment. We are working, through the Department for International Development, with the Palestinian Civil Police. And we are working with European Union partners on a significant assistance project for Palestinian civil policing.
	The London Meeting on 1 March will be the next stage in the process of exploring how we and the international community can help the Palestinian Authority develop a more effective security apparatus and work towards building the institutions of a future Palestinian state. Stronger institutions will help the Palestinian Authority take over more successfully the territories from which Israel will withdraw in the context of the disengagement plan. They will also ensure that disengagement can hasten a return to the Roadmap.

Small Grants Scheme

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, for each country where it has been utilised over the last two years, the grants made from the Small Grants Scheme; and what the (a) amount and (b) purpose of each grant was.

Denis MacShane: Funds totalling £12.1 million in 2002–03 financial year and £10.2 million in 2003–04 financial year have been dispersed on projects in over 100 countries under the Small Grants Scheme. I have placed a list of the Small Grants Scheme spend 2002 to 2004 by country in the Library of the House. The Department for International Development funds the scheme. Funds are made available to civil society and religious organisations for activities that promote the development or maintain the economy of a territory outside the United Kingdom, or the welfare of its people. A breakdown of each project is not held centrally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Srebrenica Massacres

Calum MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he is making to mark the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacres; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We have yet to take any final decisions on the most appropriate way to mark this important anniversary. The UK already provides public, operational and financial support to a number of projects which will leave a lasting memorial to the victims of these crimes, including the establishment of the purpose-built Potocari cemetery outside Srebrenica and the creation of a memorial room with the support of the Imperial War Museum.
	The best tribute to the victims of this crime would be to bring the perpetrators to justice. The UK will continue to be at the forefront of political, diplomatic and—through EUFOR in Bosnia—operational efforts to ensure that those indicted for war crimes, in particular Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina, are brought to trial in The Hague.

Tsunami Relief

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes to the allocation of (a) resources and (b) funds his Department has had to make as a consequence of the tsunami disaster.

Denis MacShane: As soon as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) received news of the tsunami disaster it activated its emergency crisis plan that deals with major emergencies involving British nationals overseas. Under this plan, posts in the affected region were reinforced with trained consular staff both from London and other regional posts.
	Between 26 December and 24 January, the FCO sent a total of 105 extra staff to Thailand. As of 24 January, 51 of these extra staff remained in Thailand. 27 were supporting the embassy in Bangkok and 24 were manning the temporary mission in Phuket. On 26 December, a rapid deployment team of 10 FCO staff was sent out from London to the high commission in Colombo. A further eight team members were deployed between 28 and 30 December. As of 24 January, one member of this team remained in Sri Lanka.
	In London, a tsunami crisis unit of 16 full-time staff providing 24 hour cover has been in operation. FCO staff have also been deployed to the Casualty Bureau in Hendon and, for a period of 10 days, to Heathrow airport.
	It is far from clear as yet what the total financial cost of the consular operation will be but it will almost certainly exceed that of any recent consular crisis. The cost includes the deployment of police officers to the affected region for family liaison and forensic investigation. We expect some tsunami-related activity to continue into the next financial year.
	Since October 2003 a proportion of each UK passport fee has gone towards establishing an Emergency and Disaster Reserve (EDR) which is controlled jointly by the FCO and Her Majesty's Treasury. By the end of financial year 2004–05, allowing for previous non-tsunami claims yet to be paid, there will be roughly £5 million in the EDR which we hope will be sufficient to cover the majority of the 2004–05 claim. In the event that total claims exceed the capacity of the EDR, we will need to consider how best to meet that cost, including by seeking access to the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits Reserve.

Turkey

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Turkish Government on political prisoners being held in Turkey; how many political prisoners are being held in custody by the Turkish authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: Estimates of those in detention for political offences vary. The recent release of many prisoners in Turkey, as a result of the new Turkish Penal Code, has made estimation even harder. However, according to the Turkish Ministry of Justice there are currently 3,757 individuals detained for political offences". This figure includes those convicted under the Anti-Terror Law, and Articles 125, 146, 168, 169 of the current Turkish Penal Code.
	The UK has made clear to the Turkish authorities that European values do not permit detention of citizens on account of their political beliefs. A package of constitutional amendments was adopted by Turkey in May 2004 that included affirmation that international human rights agreements take precedence over domestic law. The European Commission's 2004 regular report on Turkey noted that the
	courts have continued to apply the reforms"
	and that as a result
	the situation of people sentenced for non-violent expression of opinion is now being addressed".

Ukraine

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on discussions his Department has had with the Ukraine Government on EU membership.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 2 February 2005
	We have had numerous discussions at different levels both bilaterally and through the EU Troika with the Ukrainians on strengthening EU-Ukraine relations and on President Yushchenko's long-term strategic goal of EU membership. I also discussed these issues with senior Ukrainian officials who are expected to take up ministerial posts when I represented the United Kingdom at President Yushchenko's inauguration in Kiev on 23 January.

HEALTH

Alcohol-related Accidents

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) accident and emergency admissions and (b) ambulance call-outs resulting from incidents occurring (i) on and (ii) in the vicinity of premises licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises under the Licensing Act 1964 there were in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The number of accident and emergency attendances that are alcohol related is not collected centrally. There were 24,845 admissions via accident and emergency to national health service hospitals in England for alcohol-related conditions during 2003–04.
	Information on the number of alcohol-related ambulance call-outs is not collected centrally.

Alzheimer's

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Alzheimer's disease patients are being treated in West Derbyshire; what the total spending ondrugs to treat Alzheimer's disease was in West Derbyshire in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of the availability of drugs for moderately-severe to severe Alzheimer's disease in West Derbyshire; how much was spent by the NHS on drug treatments for advanced Alzheimer's disease patients in West Derbyshire in each of the last three years; and what measures have been taken to assist carers of patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease in West Derbyshire.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected in the format requested. Drugs used for dementia as defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.11 are specifically indicated for use in dementia in Alzheimer's sufferers. The table shows the number of prescription items and net ingredient cost of all drugs used for dementia in Alzheimer's disease that were dispensed in the community in primary care trusts (PCTs) in the Derbyshire area in 2001, 2002 and 2003. It is not possible to provide information on any other prescription drugs that patients with Alzheimer's disease may receive, since information is not available on the reasons why a prescription drug is prescribed.
	The information covers prescriptions that are dispensed in the community only. It does not include items dispensed in hospitals or mental health trusts where they are known to be used significantly. Prescribing practices of drugs for dementia will vary across PCTs.
	
		Number of prescription items and net ingredient cost of all drugs for dementia that were dispensed in the community in PCTs in West Derbyshire and in England—2001, 2002 and 2003
		
			  Number of prescription items (000) Net ingredient cost (£000) 
			  2001 2002 2003 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Amber Valley PCT 0.3 0.7 0.9 21.8 59.0 73.1 
			 Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT 0.2 0.4 0.6 13.3 33.7 49.1 
			 High Peak and Dales PCT 0.6 1.0 1.5 38.0 65.6 106.7 
			 Total West Derbyshire 1.0 2.1 3.0 73.0 158.3 228.9 
			 England 122.1 231.3 358.2 11,004.6 20,567.1 31,347.5 
		
	
	Notes on prescribing data:
	1. PCA data cover all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England, (this covers items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.
	PCA data do not include items dispensed in hospitals/mental health trusts or private prescriptions. PCA data includes the PCT in which the drug for dementia was dispensed in.
	2. Drugs for dementia are defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.11 Drugs for dementia" and include donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl), memantine hydrochloride (Ebixa) and rivastigmine (Exelon).
	3. Doctors, dentists or nurses write prescriptions on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
	4. Net ingredient cost refers to the basic cost (which the dispenser is reimbursed) of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees.
	Source:
	Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data from the Prescription Pricing Authority.
	With respect to the cost of drug treatments for patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) records, there is one licensed product, Ebixa (memantine hydrochloride), which is indicated for the treatment of patients with moderately-severe to severe Alzheimer's disease.
	Ebixa was first dispensed in the community on prescription in the last quarter (October to December) of 2002, so data prior to that are not available. The PCA data report that in 2003, around 7,600 prescription items of Ebixa were dispensed in the community in England with a net ingredient cost of 636,300, or two per cent, of the cost of all dementia drugs. Due to reasons of confidentiality, the Department does not release sub-national level prescription data where less than 50 items of a drug have been dispensed. Data on the cost of Ebixa in the Derbyshire area cannot be provided as the numbers were too small to be disclosed.
	Both the Derbyshire Mental health services national health service trust and the PCTs in West Derbyshire confirm that they follow National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal guidance relating to the use of Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine [guidance no. 19] for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
	NICE is currently reviewing this guidance, which will include an assessment of Ebixa. In the meantime, PCTs and individual trusts, when considering the funding of this treatment, are expected to use their existing prescribing arrangements and consider all the evidence available to them on the clinical effectiveness of the treatment.
	NICE has not yet completed its revision of guidance No. 19 with regard to the drug Memantine, which is indicated for patients with severe Alzheimer's disease. It is a matter for individual PCTs and NHS trusts to consider whether this drug be made available in the interim period.
	In terms of measures taken to assist carers of patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease in West Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales Crossroads receives a combined amount of £95,000 per annum from:
	High Peak and the Dales PCT
	Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT
	Social services
	Crossroads is a national organisation committed to providing practical support—where it is most needed—in the home. Trained care staff go into carers' homes to take over the caring tasks, giving carers a much needed break.

Ambulance Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health what (a) instructions and (b) policy guidelines on proposed mergers of ambulance services have been given by his Department to health authorities.

Rosie Winterton: No specific guidance has been issued to the national health service on proposed mergers of ambulance services.
	However, under section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001, NHS bodies are under a duty to consult and involve patients, the public and their representatives in the planning of changes to services and to involve them in decisions affecting the operation of services. Should a proposal to change services represent a substantial development or variation, NHS bodies are under a duty to consult relevant local authority overview and scrutiny committees.
	Once the results of these consultations are known, if the trust boards and strategic health authority agree that a merger should take place, they are required to write to the Secretary of State for Health asking that the Department take action to merge the organisations. If that request is approved by Ministers, an order will be drawn up dissolving the organisations in question and creating a replacement organisation.
	There are no set standards for what the Secretary of State would take into account when considering a request to merge NHS organisations. But as a general rule, before approving the merger of any NHS trusts, the Secretary of State would seek to satisfy himself that:
	appropriate consultation has been undertaken locally;
	any organisational changes are in the interests of patients and staff; and
	the merger will help improve performance against the requirements and standards set out in National Standards, Local Action and other relevant documents.

Ambulance Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the merging of ambulance services.

Rosie Winterton: Any decisions around the configuration of ambulance trusts are a matter for the local health economy to consider, led by the strategic health authority (SHA) and in consultation with patients and the public. Under section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001, national health service bodies are under a duty to consult and involve patients, the public and their representatives in the planning of changes to services and to involve them in decisions affecting the operation of services. Should a proposal to change services represent a substantial development or variation, NHS bodies are under a duty to consult relevant local authority overview and scrutiny committees.
	It is appropriate for SHAs and commissioners to examine how ambulance services are provided in their area and consider whether the current arrangements could be improved to benefit patients and staff, reduce duplication and improve efficiency.

Chiropody Services

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 18 January 2005, Official Report, column 675, on chiropody services, when the guidance on the provision of podiatry services contained in the report of the joint Department of Health and NHS Chiropody Task Force, Feet First, was discontinued.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 31 January 2005
	Feet First was published in 1994 and replaced statutory eligibility criteria from that date. The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, superseded this guidance.

Conquest Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes have been made involving direct admission of children to the paediatric department rather than the accident and emergency department at the Conquest Hospital in East Sussex.

Rosie Winterton: In line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power", it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders to plan, develop and improve services for local people.
	An ambulatory service at the Conquest Hospital operates seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm. This service has been up and running for quite some time. Specially trained nurses and doctors assess and treat children without the need for them to be admitted. The children can go home supported by specially trained community nurses and the reassurance that help and advice is just a phone call away.
	Children attending accident and emergency with medical conditions during the above hours are referred straight to the ambulatory service on the children's unit. Children's trauma is dealt with in A and E and those children requiring admission are admitted to the children's ward in the normal manner.

Dementia

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people living in the Greater London area have been diagnosed as suffering from dementia.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in Stoke-on-Trent have signed up for the new dental contract.

Rosie Winterton: In Stoke-on-Trent, three dental practices have applied to move to the personal dental service (PDS) contract. One of those practices, consisting of four dentists, started working under the new arrangements in August 2004. A further two practices are expected to join the scheme in February 2005.
	We are committed to introducing new contractual arrangements, involving the delegation of the commissioning of national health service dentistry to primary care trusts, not later than April 2006. Dentists who wish to have advanced benefit of these new arrangements may move to the PDS contract.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) principal and (b) assistant dentists offered NHS treatment in the strategic health authority of Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the numbers of dentists in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority area for the years 1997 to 2004.
	
		
			  General dental service (GDS) principal GDS assistant Personal dental service (PDS) provider PDS performer Total 
		
		
			 1997 756 60 — — 816 
			 1998 805 60 — — 865 
			 1999 814 77 — — 891 
			 2000 825 72 21 — 918 
			 2001 813 74 30 1 918 
			 2002 799 80 37 1 917 
			 2003 809 73 42 — 924 
			 2004 816 85 71 1 973

Dentistry

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what aspects of the implementation of the new contract for NHS dentists have led to the delay in the transfer of responsibility for dental services to primary care trusts.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member the written ministerial statement on national health service dentistry reforms made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 6–8WS.

Diamorphine

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on recent interruptions in the supply of diamorphine.

Rosie Winterton: Immediately before Christmas, Chiron, the major supplier of diamorphine injection in the United Kingdom, informed the Department that its supplies of this product were limited. It is unlikely that the company will be able to supply more for some months. The other supplier, Wockhardt UK, continues to produce diamorphine and has increased its production. The Department and the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency are working closely with manufacturers of alternative medicines to ensure that patients receive the care they need. They are monitoring the position very closely until the supply of diamorphine returns to normal and will be taking whatever action is necessary to secure the supply of alternative medicines for the management of pain.

Enbrel

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each primary care trust are receiving Enbrel on NHS prescription for juvenile arthritis.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not hold information on the number of people receiving drugs on prescription or the reasons for which a drug is prescribed.

Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will receive a delegation comprising the hon. Member for Gosport and leaders of the main party political groups in Gosport to discuss the recommendation by the Hampshire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the current proposals of the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust be referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.

John Hutton: Yes.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie), on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Health Funding (Cambridgeshire)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) grant levels calculated on the capitation formula basis and (b) amount of grant paid to (i) the East Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust and (ii) the Fenland Primary Care Trust (A) were in each year before the merger of the trusts and (B) have been in each year since the merger.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the reply Igave on 1 July 2004, Official Report, column 408W.

Health Funding (Cambridgeshire)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts amalgamated to form the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Trust; when amalgamation took place; what grant payments were made to each trust in the three years prior to amalgamation; what the grant payment has been made to the amalgamated trust in each year since inception; and what the budget deficit of the amalgamated trust at inception was.

Stephen Ladyman: The creation of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Trust was as a result of the merger of Lifespan national health service trust and North West Anglian Healthcare NHS Trust. The new trust came into effect on 1 April 2002, in line with Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 1690.
	Information relating to grants payable to NHS trusts are not held centrally.
	I am advised that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Trust did not inherit any deficit from its predecessor bodies. Surpluses were reported in both 2003–04 and 2004–05; these were carried forward to the next financial year to assist the trust in managing its financial position.

MRI Scans

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting times for MRI scans in Coventry were for the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is not held centrally.

National Service Framework for Older People

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the standard on medicine review in the National Service Framework for Older People is reconciled with the standard in the general practitioner contract; and what data he collects in respect of each standard.

Stephen Ladyman: The quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicator for medication reviews for people prescribed repeat medicines was developed by a group of independent experts who were commissioned by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation. The group developed QOF indicators using its own search of the evidence and did not necessarily use existing national service framework (NSF) standards. Although this means that the QOF indicators and NSF standards may not match entirely, meeting the QOF indicator will go a long way to helping practices meet the NSF standard and vice versa.
	Data on whether practices have achieved the QOF indicator are collected through the quality and management analysis system. This is currently only available to primary care trusts.
	Compliance with NSFs is monitored through clinical governance arrangements and independent inspection by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.

NHS Modernisation Agency

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what it has cost (a) to create and (b) to run (i) the NHS University and (ii) the NHS Modernisation Agency; and what the Modernisation Agency achieved during its existence.

John Hutton: There were no specific additional costs associated with the creation of the NHS University (NHSU) and the Modernisation Agency (MA). The operating costs for these bodies for 2003–04 were set out in the document, Reconfiguring the Department of Health's Arm's Length Bodies", published in July 2004.
	The NHSU has provided thousands of national health service staff with access to training and development programmes. For the period 16 July 2003 to 11 January 2005, there have been 41,008 staff enrolments onto NHSU programmes. The MA has engaged at least 150,000 NHS staff in several thousand improvement projects, benefiting patients in many aspects of health care in England.
	Some of the functions of the NHSU and the MA will be brought together in the NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation, so that these achievements can be built on in a more integrated way.

NHS Staff (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital consultants are employed in Coventry.

Stephen Ladyman: At June 2004 there were 228 consultants working at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust. This is an increase of 16 since September 2003 and 102 since September 1997.

Nurse Numbers

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses, (b) health visitors, (c) practice nurses and (d) school nurses were employed (i) in England and (ii) in Northampton in (1) 1997 and (2)2004.

John Hutton: The number of nurses, health visitors and practice nurses employed in England and in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority (SHA) in 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available, is shown in the table.
	The Government collected information on the school nursing work force in the September 2003 non-medical work force census, but this information was incomplete. Information on the number of school nurses employed in the national health service will be available from the September 2004 non-medical work force census, expected to be published in March 2005.
	
		All NHS qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, including practice nurses employed by unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs);(13) in England and Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA area as at 30 September(14) each year -- Headcount
		
			  1997 2003 
		
		
			 England   
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) 318,856 386,359 
			 of which:   
			 Health visitors 12,410 12,984 
			 School nurses(14) n/a 476 
			 Practice nurses 18,389 21,667 
			
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA area 
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) 8,626 9,589 
			 of which:   
			 Health visitors 364 318 
			 School nurses(14) n/a 2 
			 Practice nurses 522 548 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable
	1UPEs include general medical service (QMS) unrestricted principals, personal medical service (PMS) contracted general practitioners and PMS salaried GPs.
	(13)Practice nurse figures as at 1 October for 1997.
	(14)School nurses were identified separately for the first time in the 2003 Census so these figures may not represent a complete data set.
	Source:
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census
	Department of Health QMS and PMS statistics.

Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the occupants of each make towards running costs; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i)domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment was in 2003–04.

Rosie Winterton: The Department and its Executive agencies has no residential properties on its estate.

Paddington Health Campus

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list meetings which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had within the last six months to discuss the Paddington Health Campus; and with whom each meeting was held in each case.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 January 2005
	In the past six months, I have had three meetings about the Paddington Health Campus scheme.
	On 17 January 2005, I met with my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (MsBuck), Jo Heggarty (Chair, Westminster Primary Care Trust), and Peter Coates (Department of Health).
	On 11 January 2005, I met with Caro Millington (Chair, North West London Strategic Health Authority), Baroness Joan Hanham (Chair, St. Mary's Hospital Trust), Lord Tony Newton (Chair, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital Trust), Professor Sir Leszek Brysiewitcz (Deputy Rector of Imperial College), and Peter Coates (Department of Health).
	On 19 July 2004, I met with my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (MsBuck), the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Field), Helen Jones (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister), and Jane Everton (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister).
	John Bacon, Group Director of Health and Social Care Services Delivery had a meeting about the Paddington Health Campus scheme.
	On 11 August 2004, he met with Nick Searl Project Director, Chelsfield Construction, Howard Wright Project Director, Chelsfield Construction, John Anderson Director of Chelsfield Construction, and Steve Peacock Acting Chief Executive of North West London Strategic Health Authority.
	In the same period, there have been a considerable number of meetings between officials and officials with representatives from the trusts, other advisors, the private sector parties so far involved in the project, officials from Westminster city council and other interested parties. Details of all these appointments have been placed in the Library.

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of how many people in England suffer from (a) arthritis, (b) multiple sclerosis, (c) asthma and (d) mental illness; and how many of each are exempt from prescription charging;
	(2)  how many people in England are undergoing chemotherapy treatment; and how many of these are exempt from prescription charging.

Rosie Winterton: holding answers 31 January 2005
	The Department does not centrally hold the information requested on the number of people suffering from arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma or mental illness. The Department does not centrally hold information on the number of people undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
	None of the mentioned medical conditions or chemotherapy treatment are included in the list of medical conditions giving exemption from prescription charges.

Safety of Medicines

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers the Medicines and Health Care products Regulatory Agency has to compel drug companies to provide the Department with all of their clinical trial data when drug licences are being sought.

Rosie Winterton: Drug companies are obliged by Directive 2001/83/EC, to supply to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), all relevant information on clinical trials for the evaluation of the product in support of a marketing authorisation application (MAA). The MHRA has systematic controls in place to ensure that the data submitted by an applicant in support of a MAA comply with the requirements of the directive and the relevant guidelines. It is a criminal offence not to comply with these requirements of the directive.

Safety of Medicines

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow regularly his Department reviews the role of (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the Committee on the Safety of Medicines.

Rosie Winterton: The full range of operations of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have been reviewed regularly. Most recently, for example, a value-for-money audit was conducted by the National Audit Office. Its findings were represented in January 2003. This was followed up by a Public Accounts Committee report in June 2003.
	There are no formal arrangements for review of the Committee on the safety of Medicines (CSM), but in February 2004, the Government asked the MHRA to launch a public consultation on proposals to review the structure of the Medicines Act advisory bodies, including the CSM, to reflect the changes in the regulatory framework that have taken place in recent years. The Government are taking forward the results of this consultation and changes to the structure of the advisory bodies will be introduced in the autumn of 2005.
	The Minister responsible, the Under-Secretary of State (Lord Warner), has regular meetings with the chairman and chief executive to review progress on their annual work plan and holds an annual accountability meeting with them.

Salt

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients with kidney disease are made aware of the importance of seeking medical advice about their daily salt intake levels.

Rosie Winterton: The national service framework for renal services, part 1 makes clear that all people with established renal failure need to receive nutritional monitoring and dietary advice, including restrictions on potassium, phosphate and sodium.

Salt

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the health risks to patients on dialysis of failing to monitor sodium intake levels.

Rosie Winterton: People receiving dialysis will normally be on a low sodium diet. Standards 2 and 4 of the national service framework for renal services, part 1, published in January 2004, identify the need for people to receive nutritional monitoring and dietary advice, as well as the continuing management of their underlying disease and the risk factors and complications.

Secure Psychiatric Beds

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many secure psychiatric beds have been available in each of the last eight years.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to the reply, 27 January 2005, Official Report, c. 562W
	I regret that a figure in the table in my previous reply is incorrect.
	The average daily number of available beds for 1996–97 should read 1,575 not 1,1575 as printed.
	This was due to a clerical error which was not picked up in the type-checking.

Social Services (Care Costs)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to social services departments on costs which must be taken into account when deciding weekly rates for care homes; and whether this includes a recommended minimum hourly rate of pay.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not set pay rates for staff in care homes. Care homes are private businesses and owners take their own decision about how to conduct their business. This includes negotiating the level of pay and conditions of services for staff, taking into account local employment conditions such as recruitment and retention. However, like any other employer care home owners must operate within the requirements of general employment legislation such as the national minimum wage. In addition, fee setting by social services departments must take into account the legitimate current and future costs faced by providers.

Strategic Health Authorities

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by each of the strategic health authorities in England; what the running costs of each authority were in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the future of the strategic health authorities.

John Hutton: At present, there are no current plans for changes to strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	The total number of staff, including medical staff, employed by SHAs in September 2003 was 3,663 (3,375 whole time equivalents) 1 . Around 1,660 were engaged in core SHA functions 2 . The rest ran deaneries, workforce development confederations and other functions 3 on behalf of SHAs.
	1 Source for total number of staff: Department of Health non-medical workforce census and medical and dental workforce census.
	2 Source for core staff: internal validation exercise. Core staff are SHA employees funded by the Department of Health cash limit. 3 In addition to the core staff shown in table 1, further staff are employed to provide common/shared services for the national health service, workforce development confederations, cancer teams and deaneries.
	The number of core staff employed in each SHA is shown in table 1.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Reference Strategic health authority Core staff 
		
		
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 63 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 54 
			 Q03 Essex 60 
			 Q04 North West London 66 
			 Q05 North Central London 57 
			 Q06 North East London 47 
			 Q07 South East London 77 
			 Q08 South West London 39 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 66 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 70 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 51 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 57 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 56 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 49 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 60 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 54 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 76 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 84 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 49 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 64 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 60 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 53 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 58 
			 Q24 Trent 55 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 56 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 59 
			 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country 48 
			 Q28 West Midlands 72 
			 Total  1,660 
		
	
	Running cost budgets for SHAs in 2004–05 are shown in table 2.
	
		Table 2 -- £000
		
			 Strategic health authority 2004–05 resource allocation 
		
		
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 5,101 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 4,572 
			 Essex 5,466 
			 North West London 4,581 
			 North Central London 4,479 
			 North East London 4,791 
			 South East London 4,577 
			 South West London 4,581 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 4,532 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 5,074 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 4,533 
			 West Yorkshire 5,086 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 4,581 
			 Greater Manchester 5,106 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 5,110 
			 Thames Valley 5,101 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 4,524 
			 Kent and Medway 4,962 
			 Surrey and Sussex 5,057 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 5,073 
			 South West Peninsula 4,563 
			 Dorset and Somerset 5,232 
			 South Yorkshire 4,873 
			 Trent 4,783 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 5,288 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 4,798 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 6,094 
			 West Midlands South (Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire) 4,553 
			 Total 137,072

Swale Primary Care Trust

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Swale Primary Care Trust has allocated to the crisis resolution teams for (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06.

Rosie Winterton: Any decisions on the range of primary care services to be made available in local areas are prioritised and led by primary care trusts (PCTs). This is in line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power, which is now reinforced by financial allocations to PCTs. In this way we are putting resources in the hands of the front line of the national health service alongside their responsibilities for developing and running services.
	Between 2003–04 and 2005–06, Swale PCT will receive an increase in funding in excess of £23 million (32 per cent.). The allocations policy for 2003–04 to 2005–06 is based on moving all PCTs progressively closer to their target allocation. Swale PCT received above average growth in each of these years.
	I am informed that Swale PCT has for the year 2004–05 budgeted for £200,000 for the crisis resolution health team (CRHT), rising to £350,000 for 2005–06. The CRHT has now started to see patients and is expected to be at full strength by the end of March 2005.

Swale Primary Care Trust

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds he will allocate to mental health treatment in Swale primary care trust for (a) children and (b) those over 60 years in the next financial year.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Any decisions on the range of primary care services to be made available in local areas are prioritised and led by primary care trusts (PCTs). This is in line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power, which is nowreinforced by financial allocations to PCTs. In this way, we are putting resources in the hands of the front line of the national health service alongside their responsibilities for developing and running services.
	Between 2003–04 and 2005–06, Swale PCT will receive an increase in funding in excess of £23 million (32 per cent.). The allocations policy for 2003–04 to 2005–06 is based on moving all PCTs progressively closer to their target allocation. Swale PCT received above average growth in each of these years.
	In the three years to March 2006, the Government are investing over £300 million in the development of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the NHS and local authorities. This is additional to their spending on CAMHS funded by general allocations. The total level of expenditure in 2005–06 is a matter for local decision. In 2005–06, the Department will be allocating an additional £97,000 to Swale PCT and £1.7 million to Kent county council. This funding will help to achieve the Department's public service agreement standard of a comprehensive CAMHS in every area by 2006.

Walsgrave Hospital

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds are available in the emergency admissions unit at Walsgrave hospital, Coventry.

Stephen Ladyman: West Midlands South strategic health authority reports that the emergency admissions unit at Walsgrave hospital has a triage room for ambulant patients, two 'see and treat' cubicles for patients that can be seen quickly and who need little or no treatment, nine minor injuries cubicles, eleven major injuries cubicles, and a procedure room.
	In addition, there are twelve beds in a medical assessment unit, where patients with medical presentations who need a more in-depth assessment (which may take longer than four hours) are seen; 17 beds in an observation unit, where patients who need a period of observation for longer than four hours, or where the nature of the tests required as part of the assessment process take longer than four hours to complete, are admitted; five beds in a resuscitation bay area; a four bay dedicated paediatric area; and four beds, two trolleys and two consulting rooms in a surgical assessment unit.